It Was Real
by xxxjoxxx
Summary: Based on the promos and little clips I've seen, this is my version of what I think will happen from 5x06 onward (may contain spoilers). Charles is still hurting over Liza having lied to him, but he needs her help and being alone together far away from home forces them to talk and gives Liza the opportunity to finally tell him her truth. I'll try to update every day/ couple of days.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my version of what I think will happen from 5x06 onwards, based on promos, guesses and what I'd like to see :) All chapters will be posted before the corresponding episode airs as I want to see how much I guess correctly! Hope you enjoy it :)

Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Younger, it's characters or any canon text.

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CHARLES

Sat in a Shelter Island country club bar, Charles ground his teeth in annoyance as he swirled the whiskey in his glass. This meeting was supposed to be a formality – meet the author and get him to sign with Empirical. But like everything else in Charles's life at the moment, it wasn't going to plan. This young rockstar was arrogant and entitled and had been a thorn in Charles's side for the past three hours. If Empirical wasn't in such financial hot water, he'd have been tempted to tell this guy where to go, but this memoir would be a huge get for the company and could potentially take some of the strain off for a while. Although deep down Charles was quite shy, he was usually a pretty good people person and had no problem building a rapport with even the most obnoxious of authors. But try as he might, Charles just could not seem to build a rapport with this guy, who was a young 20 something that had risen to incredible heights of stardom and fame and was known the world over. He was also not at all modest about his achievements and now wanted to write a book to tell his story and further cash in. The guy's attitude irked Charles pretty much from the first few minutes of speaking to him, but normally Charles could just grit his teeth and smile his way through the meeting, but he was off his game lately. It could have something, no it definitely had everything, to do with the woman he had not been able to get out of his head for the past year. He sighed as he thought of her.

Liza Miller. He had been drawn to her since the moment he met her, and as the weeks and months went on, seeing her around the office and talking to her, however insignificant the topic, became the highlight of his day. He tried to convince himself that they were just work colleagues who got on so well because of their shared love of literature and similar sense of humour. As time went on though he could no longer deny that he was attracted to her, but he brushed it off – she was 26 and he was her boss, this could never happen. He felt like the stereotypical midlife crisis – forty-something guy lusting after his twenty-something assistant, well not his assistant but an assistant who worked for him none the less. But it always felt different with her – when it was just the two of them and they would talk, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours, it never felt like there was an age gap. Like he'd told her, he felt like him around her again – and he hadn't been able to say that for years, even long before Pauline left. Him and Liza got on so well and they had so much in common. It often confused him because she seemed so wise beyond her years, but he shook it off and put it down to her being an old soul. Charles scoffed at this thought now. He'd opened up to her and let her in, and he'd allowed himself to lower the barriers that usually prevent anyone from getting too close to him. He told her things that he never told anyone, not even Pauline. She knew him and he thought that he knew her, but it turned out that the woman he'd fallen in love with had been lying to him since the day they met.

There, he admitted it – he'd fallen in love with Liza. He'd only admitted this once before, when he'd still been in shock from the revelation and trying to get advice on what to do from one of his oldest friends, Bob. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened – it could have been in the Hamptons when he had held her in his arms and they had swayed together to 'take my breath away', or it could have been way back at the Millennial launch party where he had watched her let Kelsey take all the limelight and beam with pride watching her friend give her speech, but somewhere along the line he had fallen for this intriguing young woman who had captured both his heart and mind. He remembers feeling the sting of pain whenever he would see her with Josh or hear her talking about him, but at the time he brushed it off and refused to acknowledge his feelings. But as time went on that became nigh on impossible. When he found out that she'd left Empirical, he felt physically sick and needed to get her back. When he'd gone to the department store in New Jersey his only intention had been to convince her to come back to the company, but something inside of him snapped seeing her standing there, and for once he followed his heart rather than his head. He kissed her, and it should have felt wrong but it didn't – it felt so right, like he'd come home. When she didn't turn up at the Carlisle, he'd stepped back thinking that she didn't share his feelings's and wanting to respect her on-again off-again relationship with Josh. He tried to move on with Radha but when Liza ended up in the hospital and Radha had given him an ultimatum, there had been no choice in his mind – he'd gone to Liza and he knew he'd been kidding himself trying to move on. Even if he and Liza couldn't be together, even if they just saw each other in the office, his life was better just having her in it. He still didn't think she shared his feelings but in the Hamptons she was the one that kissed him and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. That was until they'd got back to her room and he'd seen the doomed marriage proposal on her bed. There always seemed to be so many obstacles in the way of them being together. He felt guilty about Liza and Josh breaking up and the fact that he may have played a part in it, but Liza assured him that they'd wanted different things and although he'd never admitted it, deep down a part of him was relieved that they weren't together anymore. He didn't know Josh well but from what he'd seen and heard about him, it didn't seem like he had much in common with her.

With Liza single there was one less obstacle in their way, although the path to them being together was still far from clear. As they spent more time together and worked together more closely, his feelings became stronger and deeper, and it became harder to hide them. It all came to a head when he thought she was dating his old college friend Jay - a forty-something guy working in publishing - who wasn't him. He hadn't meant to blurt out his feelings but he was so frustrated he couldn't help it. If dating a guy in his 40s wasn't an issue for her then why couldn't she date him? When she came to his office he'd thought she was going to let him down gently but he couldn't have been more surprised when she strode over to him and kissed him with such intensity. It didn't take him long to recover, after all those months of longing, all that pent-up desire was just bursting to get out. She started to undo his tie but he ripped it from his neck before she had the chance, eager to be as close to her as possible. In the heat of the moment she had said there was something she needed to tell him, but he stopped her, not wanting to talk any more, just wanting to be with her. In hindsight looking back, he now realised what it was that she wanted to tell him. The moment didn't last very long as once again they were interrupted, this time by the janitor, and then a further obstacle was thrown in their path – this time in the shape of his soon-to-be ex-wife. This proved to be the biggest obstacle so far and as much as he tried to convince Liza that it was over between him and Pauline, she pushed him away and didn't want to stand in the way of his family getting back together. At Pound Ridge after getting punched in the face by Josh, he tried once more to assure Liza of his feelings. All of the need and the passion that had built up in him he poured into that kiss. He knew she was only trying to do the right thing but it was frustrating – he wanted her not Pauline, and he knew she had feelings for him too, or at least he thought she did. Seeing her with Jay and then finding out she'd gone to Ireland with Josh irritated him no end but he couldn't seem to do anything about it. For a second he considered getting back together with Pauline but he dismissed the thought almost as soon as it arose – he was in love with Liza, and even if he wasn't his marriage to Pauline in reality had ended years before she had actually left.

The L L Moore fiasco had created innumerable problems for his company, but as he looked at Liza whilst he was standing on that stage, she gave him the strength and courage to go through with it and he knew he was doing the right thing. When she'd stood in his office and admitted to him that her feelings for him were there, they were real and that she thought about what happened in his office all the time, that little spark of hope that maybe, just maybe they could be together after all, had been reignited. But then his world and everything he thought to be true had come crashing down around him. L L Moore had taken great pleasure in informing him that Liza was a fraud and in actual fact was not 27 but rather a divorced 41 year old from New Jersey, with a college aged daughter. He didn't want to believe it at first - how could he, this was Liza - he knew her. But there it was in black-and-white - she had been lying to him all this time. The disbelief soon turned into anger - how could she do this to him? She had betrayed him. It hurt, more than he cared to admit. Part of him was relieved that she wasn't 27, but the other part of him was so hurt and so angry that this person that he cared so much about had lied to him all this time. Her age had always been one of the perceived barriers in their way, and a part of him was angry that that barrier didn't even exist and that if she'd been honest with him they could have been together from the start. But then again, if she'd lied to him about her age, what else had she lied about? Was she lying about her feelings for him too? When he'd apologised to her for taking his anger out on Don, she begged him to believe her that she cared about him and whenever they'd kissed it always felt reciprocal, but he just wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Sighing, he threw back the last mouthful of his drink and slammed the glass down on the counter in disdain. Usually work was a good distractor from any personal drama he was having, but it just wasn't working this time. This rockstar guy was young and cool and wanted to publish with someone relevant to his target readership – he wanted Millennial. In any other circumstance that wouldn't be an issue, Millennial was Empirical's imprint and all revenue goes to the same place, but with Kelsey in Washington with Zane, if he wanted to sign this guy and prevent him from going to another publishing house, then that only left Liza. Picking up his phone he scrolled through the contacts and hovered over the L's. As angry as he was with her, he had to admit that Liza was very good at her job. She had proved herself invaluable to the company and had made some big saves since starting work there. He hated to admit it but he needed her. Before he lost his nerve he clicked on her name and forced himself not to end the call before it connected. It rang five times before she picked up. He was beginning to think she wouldn't answer, and if he was honest with himself he couldn't really blame her with how we had been treating her lately. When she did eventually answer, with a slightly apprehensive sounding "hello?", he involuntarily took a sharp intake of breath at hearing her voice - he had missed it.

It took him a few seconds to compose himself and remember what he had called her for. "Liza, hi"

"Charles, is everything okay?", Liza sounded concerned and still a bit apprehensive.

It never used to be awkward between the two of them, but he reminded himself that it wasn't his fault that it now was – well it mostly wasn't his fault. "Liza, I need your help". He decided to get straight to the point and avoid straying into personal territory.

"erm, okay. Is everything alright?"

"You know that memoir I've been trying to close the deal on?"

"The rockstar?"

"Yeah. Well he wants to sign, but with Millennial rather than Empirical. He won't sign until he's spoken with someone from Millennial first though, and with Kelsey in Washington…"

"Oh, right…okay" Charles heard the disappointment in her voice and felt a pang of guilt. She thought she was his last resort and that he was only calling her because Kelsey was unavailable. "Did you want me to Skype him or something?"

"No actually, he's quite high maintenance. He wants to meet face-to-face or no deal. I'm sorry to ask, I know you're probably busy and it'll be late by the time you get here…"

"No, it's fine really – I want to help. I'll come now. What's the address?" A small smile crossed Charles's face - even if she'd hurt him personally, he could still rely on her professionally.

"It's a country club on Shelter Island. I'll text you the address and send a car." Some of the tension ebbed from Charles's shoulders. "Thank you".

"No problem".

He could tell that she meant it. He was still angry with her, but she was helping him out and he felt he owed her something. "…and Liza…you're very good at your job - I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think so" He wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he was sure he heard her sigh on the end of the line.

"Thank you. I'll be there as soon as I can. Goodbye Charles"

"Goodbye Liza"

Well, he'd been doing a fairly good job of avoiding her for the past week, but being alone with her three hours away from home would unavoidably put paid to that. This would be interesting - he may need another drink!


	2. Chapter 2

LIZA

Liza was surprised when she saw the car Charles had sent for her – it was one of Empirical's and more limo than car, usually only used for big events and work functions. She was expecting a standard cab but with a 3 hour drive ahead of her she was grateful for the extra space and luxury. Even though her and Charles were barely on speaking terms at the moment he was still looking out for her, and that was one of the many things she loved about him, and one of the reasons she felt so bad for hurting him.

When she heard her phone ring earlier Charles was the last name she expected to see flash up on her screen. It took her a few moments to get over her shock and she had wondered if he was just calling to berate her some more. Even if he were though she couldn't not answer, she deserved his anger – out of everyone she had hurt him the most, more than Josh, more than Kelsey. Even though they weren't together there had always been a spark and something unspoken between them, and over the past few months they had acted upon their feelings. Each time though a roadblock had been thrown in their way, be it a janitor, and ex-wife or her conscience over lying to him - they never seemed to be able to catch a break. She knew he had feelings for her – he'd assured her of this numerous times, but she didn't know how deep his feelings went. The only thing she did know for sure, and it had taken thinking he was getting back together with Pauline for her to admit it, was that she was in love with him - and that she had been for some time.

When Charles had informed her and Diana that him and Pauline were getting a divorce she had been surprised as she'd thought they were reconciling, but when she had gotten over her shock she felt a sliver of hope that perhaps she and Charles would no longer be 'victims of unsynchronised passion' but instead they could move forward and explore this electricity that had always been between them. She'd known that she needed to tell him her secret before that could happen, and she was going to. She'd worked up the courage and she was going to tell him - that same week. She didn't get the chance though. She couldn't work out how or who but somebody beat her to it – Charles already knew. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the sheer pain on his face as he yelled at her on the street after the book fair, 'You betrayed me! You looked me in the eyes for months, and months, and you pretended to be somebody else entirely'. In her 41 years she didn't think she had caused someone so much pain as she had him in that moment. It cut her to the bone when he'd told her 'you are not the kind of person that I want to have in my life'. She could only watch helplessly as he walked away from her – this was all her fault. This lie that had started off seemingly innocuous had caused so many people so much pain, but none more than Charles – and for that she would be eternally sorry. She had tried to reach out to him since but he couldn't seem to stand to be anywhere near her, and when he was his anger was so evident you could cut the tension with a knife. If only he would let her explain why she did this, she could make him understand that she did this for her daughter – surely he would be able to understand that, and that she never meant to hurt him.

She knew though that she had not only hurt him personally, but professionally too. Being an associate editor of Millennial, but pretending to be a millennial, would jeopardise the company's credibility if it came to light and cause another scandal that they could not afford. Charles had always supported her and believed in her ability at work and she hated that he didn't trust her anymore. So when he'd asked for her help, she didn't hesitate to agree. He could have asked her to do pretty much anything at this point and she would have done it – she needed him to know that she was still there for him and that he could rely on her. A 3 hour drive to Shelter Island to schmooze an author was nothing, and she would get his signature if it took her all night. She knew a bit about the guy, everyone did – he was world-famous, but not someone she had had a lot of interest in previously. Leaning back in her seat she pulled out her iPad and started to research him – she would use the time to learn everything she could about him and go into the meeting fully prepared. She would not let Charles down, not again.

After what seemed like only an hour the car slowed and came to a stop and the driver announced that they were there. She had been so engrossed in her research and making mental notes that she didn't notice that over three hours had passed. After thanking the driver she stepped out of the car and took in her surroundings. Her eyebrows rose as she saw the sprawling manor house and landscaped gardens. This really was the playground of the rich and famous. Looking down at her own attire she felt decidedly underdressed. As she walked up the steps to the entrance a man in an expensive - looking suit held the door open and nodded politely at her. She smiled awkwardly back at him as she pulled her bag behind her. Charles hadn't specifically said but with the distance she'd figured it would be too late to travel back tonight so she came prepared. Setting her things down in the lobby she pulled out her phone and began typing out a text to Charles. She sensed his presence though before she finished her text and looked up from her phone to see him standing there before her.

Liza couldn't help herself when her eyes ran up and down the length of his body. He was wearing black jeans with a fitted black shirt - he looked ridiculously hot! She was so used to seeing him in his suits - not that he didn't pull those off, because he definitely did - but casual Charles was just a whole new level of sexy! As their eyes met, her breath caught – the spark was still there, but she could also still see the pain residing there. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he shuffled awkwardly on his feet as he greeted her, "Hi".

She smiled shyly at him as she returned his greeting. "Hi".

"Thank you for coming on such short notice Liza"

"Charles it's no problem, reallyn - I'm happy to help" she assured him.

Charles gave her a slight smile. "I've got you a room. I wasn't sure how long this will take and I didn't think it was fair to expect you to travel back tonight."

"Thank you, I appreciate it". And she did – he may be beyond hurt and angry with her still, but like with the car he was still looking out for her. Charles nodded in recognition. "So where's the author" Liza asked, to fill in the silence that had settled upon them.

"I've just messaged him to tell him that you're here. I told him we'd meet him in one of the private lounges".

"Okay". Charles gestured for her to walk with him and before she had chance to reach for her bag he'd already picked it up. Liza smiled as they walked side-by-side to meet the author. The conversation may be confined to work but at least he wasn't sniping or yelling at her, and that was progress.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for the reviews - they're much appreciated! :)

CHARLES

Charles had to admit he was impressed. Liza pretty much ran that meeting as he sat back and let her take point. She charmed the author and impressed him with her knowledge of him, making relevant references and name drops in her pitch. He wasn't sure how she knew so much about him, his music didn't really seem like her taste – but how much did Charles really know about her tastes? He guessed she'd spent the journey over here swatting up though, and as angry as he still was with her, for that he was grateful. The only time Charles felt like jumping into the conversation was when the guy's eyes strayed from Liza's face to other parts of her body and Charles felt his blood begin to boil. Liza seemed to sense his agitation though and before he'd had chance to open his mouth and potentially blow the deal, she shifted in her seat almost imperceptibly so that her leg brushed against his, wordlessly telling him not to worry.

The meeting couldn't have gone any better and Liza had been on top form, which is why Charles was surprised when the author shook their hands at the end and told them that he'd think about it as he had another meeting with a rival publisher tomorrow.

Liza seemed equally perplexed. "Did I miss something? That went well – right?"

Charles ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he stood up. "Yeah, it did. But I guess you can never really tell what's going on in someone's head". It wasn't really meant as a dig, but the hurt look on her face and how she averted her eyes told him she saw it as one. "Well I guess there's nothing else we can do tonight. I'll show you to your room". He picked her case up again and made his way to the elevator, hearing her follow behind him.

The elevator ride was spent in tense silence and although they only travelled two floors it felt like they were in there for hours. He stood aside, being the gentleman, to allow her to exit first but as she didn't know where she was going they walked side by side to her room. Ironically there was only one room left at such short notice and it just so happened to be opposite his. He didn't know what he would have done if there were no rooms left – there was no way he could handle sleeping in the same room as her, he was struggling to keep his distance as it was. He'd have had to have given her his room and he'd have gone and found another hotel.

Charles set her bag down in front of her room and handed her a key card. "This is you. I'll erm…I'll see you in the morning." He glanced at her eyes for a second then looked away, turning towards his own room. He didn't make it more than a step though before her desperate sounding voice calling his name stopped him in his tracks.

"Charles!"

Charles closed his eyes and inhaled before turning back to her, careful to maintain some distance between them.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take". The pained look on her face almost broke him – almost, but her next sentence reminded him why he was still angry with her. "When are you gunna trust me again?"

He didn't say anything, but the look on his face must have spoke volumes because she swallowed and seemed to realise that that probably wasn't the best question to ask. After a few seconds to compose himself he responded calmly, "If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't be here."

"I'm not talking about work and you know it."

Charles ground his teeth together in frustration. He couldn't deal with this right now – they were alone in a hotel together and he was stuck here until tomorrow. He'd dreamed about the two of them coming somewhere as beautiful as this together and all that could ensue, more times than he cared to admit. But everything was different now. "Liza" he sighed, "I told you you need to forget about it."

"I can't forget about it!" The strength in her assertion caused him to look up at her.

"And I can't do this" he turned away from her and started towards his own room, but her hand grasping his arm and the resulting electric shock that ran up it stopped him once more.

"No" she insisted, getting that stubborn look on her face that he'd always found endearing, but in the current situation he was finding frustrating. "You need to hear me out."

Charles sighed, "That's not a good idea"

"I'm not the monster you think I am." It was the desperation and sincerity in her voice that finally got him. She noticed his hesitance and internal debate and implored him to listen. "Please?"

He shook his head in resigned frustration and saw her smile in relief as she stood aside to let him into her room. This was going to be a long night!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks once again for the reviews - I really appreciate them and love hearing your feedback :)

LIZA

As Charles closed the door behind them, Liza looked around the room nervously. She'd been so determined to convince him to hear her out that she hadn't considered what she'd do now that they were alone together in her room. Charles seemed to be feeling equally awkward as he shuffled by the door. The word 'room' didn't really do this place justice – it was definitely more of a suite. There was a huge bay window that looked out over the grounds, a separate lounge and kitchen area, and another closed door that she presumed led to a bathroom. In the middle of the area where they were stood was a huge queen sized bed. Glancing over at Charles she blushed as she realised he was looking at the same thing as her. If the handful of intimate moments they'd shared and the content of her dream were anything to go by, she was pretty sure that in a different situation they could make very good use of that bed. She shook her head to rid herself of her distracting train of thought – this wasn't helpful right now. She smiled nervously at him, "Shall we sit down?"

Charles nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Liza led them over to the sofa that was by the window and they both sat down. She'd had a big speech prepared for when she eventually told him the truth, but now that he was sat within touching distance from her, looking at her expectantly but also hesitantly, she didn't have a clue where to start. She decided to put the ball in his court and give him carte blanche. "What would you like to know? Ask me anything".

This seemed to not be what he was expecting and she watched him take a deep breath and exhale slowly. He looked her straight in the eyes and she could see the pain in his as he asked her the one question that he wanted to know. "Why? Why did you lie?"

"Because the world is ageist" she told him simply. At his confused expression she continued, "when I really was in my twenties, I got an assistant's job at Random House fresh out of college and I started to build my career. But then I got pregnant. I decided to keep it, and David, my ex-husband, and I got married shortly after. When Caitlin arrived, I gave up my job to look after her. I never regretted keeping her for a second but I missed publishing – it was all I ever wanted to do. I threw myself into being a mom – I did everything for her, David was pretty useless in a crisis so it would always be me that Caitlin came to when she needed anything. Over time I kind of accepted that this was my life you know, and that maybe when Caitlin left school I could do something for me then." Charles looked thoughtful and seemed to be taking in what she was saying so she continued. "A few months before Caitlin left for college I found out that David had been cheating on me". Charles's eyebrows rose when she said this and he looked angry, although this time she didn't think it was with her. "But that wasn't all – he'd also gambled away all of our savings, including Caitlin's college fund. I filed for divorce the next day and moved out but we had to sell the house to pay off his mountain of debt – I literally had nothing. If it wasn't for Maggie, she's my roommate and friend from college, taking me in, I'd have been living in Michelle's pool house and working in Nordstrom."

Charles looked contemplative and regarded her curiously. "That must have been tough" he eventually said. "Obviously I know what it's like for your partner to cheat on you."

Liza smiled sadly at him. "I know you do, and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Charles nodded then looked back up at her. "I get that your world was turned upside down…but I don't get why you needed to lie about your age."

Liza smiled. "I'm getting to that part. I knew I needed a job to pay for Caitlin's college fees and I really wanted to get back into publishing. I can't tell you how many interviews I went to – I was over qualified for most of them, but as soon as they found out my age they didn't want to know. I was interviewed by girls barely out of college, who looked down their noses at me like I was some kind of foreign species. I was desperate – I had no clue what I was going to do." Charles didn't say anything, he was allowing her to have the floor and she really hoped he understood. "One night I went out to a bar with Maggie and I met Josh". At the sound of Josh's name, she saw Charles's jaw clench and felt a sense of triumph that he still cared enough to be jealous. "He hit on me and when I told him I was too old for him he thought I was the same age as he was. I thought he was joking, but turns out he really did think I was 26. Anyway, Maggie suggested that if publishing houses didn't want to hire a 40 year old assistant, then why not just tell them I'm 26. …so in my next interview, with Diana, that's exactly what I did – and I got the job. I was just so grateful to have a job, I never expected to build such strong relationships with people – with Diana, with Kelsey." She looked him right in the eye as she said the next part softly. "I never expected you".

Charles's breath hitched at that and Liza saw some of his resolve slipping. "You could have told me. You should have told me."

"I wanted to – so badly. I tried to so many times, but the longer it went on the harder it got."

"Yeah that's lies for you". …so he was still angry.

Liza sighed. "I'm so sorry I hurt you Charles – you mean so much to me and hurting you was the last thing I ever wanted to do."

Charles didn't say anything for a few moments and seemed to be having an internal debate with himself over how to reply. He was fidgeting with his hands and when he met her gaze she could see the vulnerability in his eyes. "Were you lying about…about…"

Liza knew what he was trying to ask. "About my feelings for you?" Charles nodded hesitantly and looked down, as if he were afraid of the answer. Liza placed a hand tentatively on Charles's arm and he looked back up at her. "Never. My feelings for you are real – they always have been, and everything we shared – that was real too."

Liza still had her hand on Charles's arm and he made no move to remove it. He looked contemplative as he took everything in that she'd just said. He smiled slightly as he said "part of me is relieved that you're not in your twenties – it makes me feel less like a stereotype for fall-…for developing feelings for you". Unless her ears had been deceiving her, Liza was pretty sure he was going to say 'for falling for you' and a jolt of excitement ran through her veins. He looked slightly panicked, like he had done in his office when he'd blurted out his feelings before. "I don't care how old you are Liza" he continued, "It's the fact that you lied to me all this time that hurts".

Charles's emotions were written all over his face and she could see just how much she'd hurt him. "I know, and I'm so sorry." She loved this man so much. She gave his arm a little squeeze. "You mean so much to me Charles".

As their eyes met, with their faces only inches apart, something in the air changed. She felt Charles turn his arm over and his fingers brushed lightly over her arm until they interlinked with hers. They both looked down at their joined hands then back up at each other. Charles's gaze flickered almost imperceptibly down to her lips...and then he was kissing her. All thoughts but the feel of him evaporated from her mind as his hand cupped her cheek and his warm lips, tentatively but then more desperately, mated with hers. Liza moaned into his mouth and leaned into him. She placed her hand on his chest, gripping his shirt to pull him closer. And then as soon as it started, it was over. Liza blinked disoriented as Charles broke the kiss and stood up, running his hands through his hair and avoiding her gaze.

"I erm…I can't do this. I just need some time." Charles paused at the door and turned back to her. "I'm sorry Liza". And with that he was gone.

Liza walked over to the spot he had just vacated and placed her hand on the door handle, still in shock from what had just happened. She was in two minds whether to go after him or whether to give him some space. She reluctantly chose the latter. She closed her eyes and leant back against the door with a sigh. Her lips were still tingling from the intensity of their kiss and her brain cloudy with desire. She replayed the last hour in her mind – he'd listened and hadn't yelled, he seemed to understand why she did it. He was obviously still hurt, but he was the one that kissed her – that was a good sign, right?...but then he'd freaked out and left…oh she was so confused!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I really can't say enough how much i appreciate your reviews! I love reading them and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story :)

CHARLES

"You mean so much to me Charles"

It was hearing her vocalise what he had longed to hear for so long that was his undoing. He'd been drawn to her from the moment they met but he'd always felt that she was out of his reach. Hearing her profess with such conviction that she felt it too, knocked down some of the wall that he'd erected around himself since finding out she'd lied. When he looked up and their eyes met, the air around them became so charged it was palpable. He could feel the heat of her hand warming his skin and he unconsciously turned his arm over so that he could touch her skin. Fire ran through his veins as his fingers trailed down her arm and then intertwined with hers. As he looked up from their joined hands, that fit together so perfectly, his gaze flicked to her lips and then back to her eyes, where he saw all of the pent up desire that he'd suppressed for so long emanating from hers too. His body took over as his hand cupped her cheek, and less than a second later his lips were on hers. Like it always had done when they'd kissed, he felt like he'd come home. It was tentative at first but then more desperate as his need for her overwhelmed him.

It was when she moaned into his mouth and placed her hand on his chest that the desire filled haze cleared somewhat and a jolt of fear sliced through his heart. He knew where this was headed if he didn't stop, and as much as he had wanted this for so long – as much as his body was screaming at him that this is where he wanted to be, that this is where he belonged, the fear of opening his heart to her again and of getting hurt was too much for him to bear. If they did this, there'd be no going back – he wouldn't want to go back, but he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take it if she hurt him again. After everything she'd told him, he was less angry but his brain was so full with all of this new information that he couldn't think straight. He needed some time to process everything, but he couldn't do that sat next to her when all he wanted to do was kiss her. Flustered, he stood up so fast he got a head rush. "I erm... I can't do this. I just need some time". Without giving her chance to reply, he strode over to the door – almost tripping over his own feet in his daze. As he grabbed the door handle, a pang of guilt hit him and he turned back towards her but avoided her gaze – he wasn't sure he had the willpower to leave if he saw the rejection he was sure was written on her face. "I'm sorry Liza". And then he left.

When the door clicked he exhaled in what was a mix of relief, regret and coming down from the high of desire. He braced his hands on either side of the door frame and leaned his head on the door, not realising that Liza was doing exactly the same thing on the other side. It took everything in him not to throw the door back open, lift her into his arms and make love to her until the sun came up. His knuckles turned white from clutching the frame so hard. Mustering every ounce of restraint he could conjure up, he closed his eyes and pushed himself away from Liza's door and let himself into his own room quickly before he changed his mind.

He cursed in frustration and looked around the room for something to distract him. He was never this emotional – Liza brought out something in him that no one else ever had done before. He needed a shower – a cold one. He yanked his shirt over his head and discarded the rest of his clothes, not caring that they were in an untidy heap on the floor. He set the shower to its coldest setting and stepped under the spray, hoping that it would help clear some of the fog in his brain. Charles closed his eyes and let the water cascade over him. It was freezing cold but he didn't feel it, all he could see was Liza's impassioned face emblazoned on the inside of his eyelids. He could understand now why she'd done it – being willing to do absolutely anything for your child was a notion he was familiar with. The burning rage he'd felt when he first found out had dampened considerably, but there was still a flicker of anger and pain that ignited at the thought that she'd lied to him and the idea that she'd had this whole other life that he'd known nothing about. It was a necessary lie, in the beginning, he reasoned, but he wished she would have confided in him sooner. Her age would have had no bearing on his feelings for her - knowing that she was 41 would have actually made things easier.

When the coldness of the water began to sting his eyes, he decided it was probably time to come out. He roughly ran the towel back-and-forth over his head, leaving his hair sticking up in random directions. He wrapped the towel around his waist and sank down onto the bed. Draping his arm over his eyes, he sighed in sheer exhaustion.

Despite how exhausted he was, Charles knew that there was no chance he would be sleeping tonight. The hours blended together as he stared up at the ceiling and replayed everything in his mind. He knew he would be beyond tired and that he should try and sleep, but it was pointless. It was almost a relief when his phone rang at 5AM and Bob told him that he needed to meet him ASAP as there had been a development in the LL Moore case. Even though he despised what Moore had done, he needed something to focus on and work would be a good distraction. It took him less than 20 minutes before he was packed, dressed, and stood outside his room. He looked over at Liza's door and flashed back to their kiss last night. He felt bad for leaving her to travel back alone, but she'd been up late as well and he didn't want to disturb her so early. With one last fleeting glance at her room as the elevator doors closed, he left the hotel and headed back to the city. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and typed out a text to Liza:

 _'Had to leave early to get back to the office – work emergency. I've arranged a car to bring you back'_. He lost count how many times he deleted and retyped. He didn't know whether to say anything about last night, or even what to say – he figured text probably wasn't the best medium for that conversation though so he settled on something straightforward and to the point.

He had three hours before he'd be back in the office so he leaned his head back on the seat rest and closed his eyes. He had a decision to make – one that could potentially affect the rest of his life. Should he take a chance on this woman who he had not been able to get out of his mind for over a year, and who had left an indelible imprint on his heart? Should he jump and take a leap of faith? Should he open his heart with the risk of getting hurt, for the chance that they could be amazing together? Or should he walk away and never find out what they could have been?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I know I say it every time, but your reviews mean the world to me. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment! Special thanks to those who review every chapter! I'm really glad you're enjoying it! I try really hard to keep L&C in character so it's a big complement that you think they are :) If anyone has any suggestions for what they'd like to see happen then let me know and I'll see what I can do :)

* * *

LIZA

Liza awoke with a groan from what was probably the worst night's sleep she'd had since Caitlin was a baby. Despite the plush-ness of her room she doubted she'd slept more than an hour in total, which was surprising therefore when she picked up her phone to find that Charles had sent her a text at 05:32 and she hadn't heard it. I could be due to her forgetting to take it off silent after their meeting with the author, or it could be that she'd finally passed out by that point. She'd spent the night alternating between tossing and turning and staring up at the ceiling as she continually replayed her encounter with Charles earlier. She was intrigued as to why he would be texting her at such an unsociable hour - was he apologising for leaving in such a hurry? Or was he finding it hard to sleep as well and asking if he could come round? Her intrigue turned to annoyance however when she read his text.

 _'Had to leave early to get back to the office – work emergency. I've arranged a car to bring you back'_.

She huffed in annoyance – great, so he'd ran away. She really thought that they'd made progress last night but apparently not - he'd left before daybreak to avoid having to travel back with her, where he wouldn't be able to avoid her. Men! She was beginning to think that Maggie had the right idea.

After a quick shower and ensuring she looked presentable, she shoved the few items that she brought with her into her bag and made her way down to the lobby. Hopefully reception would have the details of her transport – there was no way she was asking Charles as she was too annoyed with him! She'd came out here to help him out and he'd just ran off and left her. Thankfully Charles had had the foresight to leave the details with reception, who informed her that her car would be outside in 20 minutes. As she was checking out she looked over and saw the author they'd met with last night sitting alone in the lobby, presumably waiting for his own transport. Liza sighed in frustration – another man who couldn't make up his mind! With a determined stance she strode over and sat down next to him without asking for invitation. The guy looked a little startled at the intrusion but recovered when he saw who it was and pulled out his earphones. Liza was in no mood for kissing this guy's ass this morning so she got straight to the point.

"Hi, I haven't got long so I'll make this quick". The guy's eyebrows rose but Liza continued. "Look, I know you've got a meeting with another publisher today, but if you sign with anyone other than Millennial then you'll be making a huge mistake. You want your book to be a success right? Well, your target readership – millennials, Gen Z - they're our target market and we know how to sell to them. We might not have as much history as some other publishers, but we have more passion than any of them. We haven't had a book yet that hasn't been a major success, and we've had two New York Times bestsellers – that's unheard of with new imprints. I'm not going to beg you to sign with us, we'll continue to do well with or without your book – but if you want your book to be a bestseller, then you need us." Liza stood back up and the guy looked at her with intrigue and what she thought might be respect. "I hope you make the right choice" she added before nodding at him and turning to leave.

"Hold on" the guy called after her and stood up. Liza turned back to him and watched as he opened his bag, pulled out a file and handed it to her. Liza smiled when she opened it and saw that it was his manuscript. "You've got balls – I like that. You're not a yes-man…or woman – you don't just pander to me and agree with everything I say, and that's what I need in an editor. Do you have the contract?"

Liza reached into her own bag and handed it to him. "I do. Here you go"

The guy smiled. "Great, I'll give it to my lawyers and get my people to call you".

Liza returned his smile, "You've made the right decision".

"I believe I have" the guy replied as he shook her hand.

Liza watched as he got into his car and drove off through the expansive grounds and smiled in satisfaction and pride as she looked down at the manuscript in her hand. At least this trip hadn't been a total waste of time.

* * *

After the three-hour journey back to Brooklyn, Liza was still pumped from sealing the deal with the author, but she was also still annoyed with Charles. As she dragged her staff into her apartment, Maggie looked over at her from her seat in the lounge and smirked.

"So how was the sex?"

Liza glared at her. "There was no sex"

Maggie's eyebrows rose. "Wait, so you expect me to believe that you and your hot, freshly single boss spent the night alone together in a hotel and you didn't bang?"

Some of Liza's earlier frustration resurfaced as she slumped down in the seat next to Maggie. "Nope, there was no banging"

Maggie rolled her eyes at her friend. "Don't tell me you guys just read books all night, because I really will have to disown you!"

"Nope, didn't read any books either"

Maggie looked confused. "So what did you do?"

Liza groaned and let her head fall back onto the couch. "We met with the author, and the meeting went really well...but he's a man so obviously that means he's incapable of making a decision and said he'd think about it. Charles was kind of pissed about it, and still with me as well but I pretty much forced him into hearing me out."

"So what happened?"

"Well, I talked and he listened. I told him everything and he seemed to understand why I did it."

"I'm sensing there's more".

Liza sighed in frustration. "I poured my heart out to him - he knows exactly how I feel"

"So you told him you're in love with him?"

Liza rolled her eyes. "Okay so maybe not EXACTLY how I feel"

Maggie chuckled at her friend's frustration. "So what did he say?"

"He pretty much admitted that the feelings are mutual".

"And…" Maggie prodded.

"And…we kissed – and it was amazing." Maggie smirked at her and Liza scowled at her in response. "Okay, wherever your mind has just gone – just no! There was no sex! …There could have been sex, but just as we were getting into it, he jumped up like he'd been burned and ran out of there."

Maggie's face softened and she squeezed Liza's arm in support. "So after all the pining you two have done for each other, and all the pent-up sexual frustration, he finally gets the chance to sleep with you and he runs away? What a douche!"

"He's not a douche" Liza defended, "I hurt him – he's still angry"

"Liza, you need to stop defending him. He needs to get over it – women lie about their age all the time!"

"It's not the age – I actually think he's glad that I'm not 27. It's the fact that I've been lying to him all this time."

Maggie took Liza's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes. "Sweetie, you did what you had to do to get a job – he needs to stop taking it as such a personal insult. He needs to get over his shit and stop taking his bruised ego out on you". Maybe Maggie was right, she knew they couldn't carry on like this. She hated that she'd hurt him but they needed to find a way to move forward, for both their sakes. "You need to march into his office, head held high and show him that you're not taking anymore crap".

Before Liza had a chance to argue or talk yourself out of it, Maggie had pulled her up and was dragging her into her room. "I know the perfect outfit that will just scream 'badass Liza', come on!"

* * *

Stood in the elevator that would take her up to Empirical's floor, Liza regarded herself in the mirror and consciously smooth out some non-existent wrinkles in what Maggie had called her 'power suit'. She had to admit she did look pretty badass, and she felt confident. The pantsuit was a silvery-lilac and made her look like one of those high up executives who commanded a room and got everyone's attention when they walked in. She needed that though – this was her career, and she had proved herself time and time again to be damned good at it. Steeling herself she stepped off the elevator, receiving more than a few double takes and appreciative glances as she strode through the office. Kelsey almost spilled coffee all over herself as she stumbled when she saw Liza and hurried to catch up with her.

"Liza… Wow!"

Any other time Liza would have stopped to catch up with Kelsey, but she was on a mission. "Do you know where Charles is?"

"Erm yeah, he's in his office"

"Thanks" Liza replied, striding towards Charles's office and leaving Kelsey staring after her.

Liza knocked twice, but didn't wait for an answer before flinging his door open and striding in. Charles's eyes widened as he looked up startled and took in her appearance. His mouth opened and closed the few times before anything came out.

"L-Liza"

Liza held his gaze but said nothing as she came to stand in front of his desk. She tossed the manuscript towards him and it landed with a thud in front of him. After seeing him jump slightly in surprise, she turned and started to make her way back to the door. He must have realised what it was because his shocked voice called her back.

"Wait, how did you get this?"

"I didn't run away" Liza told him - knowing he'd understand the double meaning, before leaving him sat there in stunned silence.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter – I really enjoyed writing kick-ass Liza! You're comments were once again, amazing, and they really give me the motivation to keep up the daily postings! Thank you :) Hope you continue to enjoy the ride!

Oh, and BenoightLangson – I'm working on it ;) Also, to my latest guest reviewer - thanks for the suggestion :) I was already going to include that so I hope it lives up to your expectations!

* * *

CHARLES

It had been two weeks since Liza had barged into his office, thrown the rockstar's manuscript down on his desk and left him staring after her in stunned silence. In those two weeks though he'd barely seen her – she'd been working out of the office a lot with said rockstar, who'd requested that she personally edit and with a proposed Spring release date, there was a lot of work to do. On the few times he had seen her around the office, she was always busy with someone or something, and when they did interact for a few seconds, she was professionalism incarnate – it was beginning to get to him and he was grumpier than usual, something that had not been lost on his colleagues. The holiday season was in full swing with it being almost Christmas – the office looked like a grotto and carols rang out wherever he went, but Charles was feeling decidedly un-festive at the moment. The office would be closing down tomorrow for the holidays and there was no way he could go all the way until the New Year without talking to her – it would drive him crazy. He got why she might be a little annoyed with him, after all he did kiss her and then run off, leaving her alone on Shelter Island. The thing was, he was scared – really scared, but they needed to talk, really talk, and sort this out.

He hadn't spent these past two weeks moping over Liza, well he had, but he'd also been stressing himself out over the L.L. Moore situation. That dirty old man was a real piece of work – he was threatening to go public with all of the 'discrediting' information he'd gathered on his accusers, including Liza, if Charles didn't relent and publish the PamPam series. There was no way he could do that, not after everything Moore had done. Charles had been in daily talks with Bob to try and find some way to prevent Moore from going through with his threat. Whatever Liza had done, she didn't deserve to be dragged through the mud, and he was doing everything in his power to protect her.

The unmistakable sound of her laugh pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up from his stack of papers to see her talking animatedly to Kelsey outside of the copy room. Seeing that this might be his only chance to speak to her before the holidays he put on an air of confidence he didn't feel and strode over to them. They were still engaged in their conversation so Charles cleared his throat softly to alert them to his presence. Liza looked up at him then averted her gaze and Kelsey regarded them curiously. "Erm Liza, could I speak to you in my office for a minute please?".

"Sure". Liza gave him a tight smile before turning to Kelsey and telling her that she'd speak to her later. He stepped aside and gestured for her to lead the way.

Once inside the office, Charles shut the door behind them and took a few moments just to look at her. This was the first time they'd been alone together since Shelter Island and he'd missed her company. He hadn't realised until everything blew up, just how much he looked forward to their interactions to brighten up his day. He realised he was staring and shook his head to snap himself out of it. She was stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking at him expectantly. "Erm…please, sit" he finally uttered, gesturing to the couch. She looked hesitant but complied and sat down. He followed her and sat on the end, giving her some space.

"I-" "I-" they said in unison. They both smiled and laughed nervously.

"Please, you go first" Charles offered.

"I was just going to say that I can't be too long – I have a working lunch with the woman from Hello Sunshine about the Marriage Vacation movie, then I'm meeting our rockstar to go over the final draft of his first chapter."

Charles's heart sank a little – she was in a hurry to get away from him. "That's okay, I won't keep you long." Charles sighed and held her gaze as he continued. "Liza, I just wanted to apologise for what happened on Shelter Island". Seeing her confusion he rushed to clarify, realising that could be misinterpreted. "Not the kiss part – I…I don't regret that...I meant the running away after part – I'm sorry for that. You know when things get emotionally intense for me I have a tendency to shut down, but I could have handled it better. I really did have a work emergency in the morning – I still do, but I'm sorry I left you to travel back alone."

Liza gave him a small smile. "I appreciate that".

"I haven't seen you much these past two weeks" Charles mentally kicked himself for sounding so needy.

"You said you needed some time, I was just giving it to you."

Charles winced – he had said that, but he hadn't imagined she'd take it quite so literally. "Look Liza, I'd really like for us to talk – properly talk. Would you meet me for dinner tonight?" He felt as nervous waiting for her response as he had done asking a girl out for the first time as a teenager.

Liza looked at him apologetically, "I can't tonight, I'm sorry – I've got to go to a Christmas party tonight. Caitlin – my daughter, is forcing me to go. She's at her Dad's for Christmas so I'm spending some time with her before she leaves."

Charles deflated somewhat but understood. "Yeah the girls are spending Christmas Day with Pauline this year too – it'll be kinda strange not having them there." Charles sighed in frustration when he remembered something. "Damn, I just remembered I have to go to a party tonight too."

Liza giggled at the expression on his face. "I take it you're not looking forward to it?"

"Not really, no – I'm not feeling particularly festive right now." Charles definitely wasn't in the mood for Bob and Julia's annual Christmas party and having to smile and make small talk with people he didn't really know, but they'd been good to him since Pauline left and he felt he owed it to them to at least make an appearance.

"Well maybe the party will help get you in the holiday spirit."

Charles chuckled, "I doubt it, but we'll see." He fiddled nervously with his fingers then looked back up at her. "Are you free on Christmas Eve? I don't want to impinge on your time with your daughter beforehand."

Liza seemed to sense his nervousness and smiled reassuringly at him. "Caitlin's leaving for her Dad's at lunch time so I'm free after then."

Charles beamed at her in relief. "Great, well I'll pick you up and we can go to dinner or something."

"Okay, it's a date." Liza blushed and stumbled over her words. "I erm…I didn't mean it's a date as in it's a date-date, I meant-"

Charles laughed at her ramblings. "I know what you meant."

The awkwardness returned and Liza stood back up. "Well I'd better get going – can't leave Reese's people waiting. I'll erm…I'll see you on Christmas Eve?"

Charles smiled, "You will."

"Goodbye Charles"

"Goodbye Liza"

* * *

After about half an hour of being at the party, Charles was ready to make his excuses and leave. He'd shown his face and chatted to Bob and Julia and there was no one else here he had any interest in talking to. That was until he spotted Liza standing in the conservatory. At first he thought he was hallucinating, but there was no mistaking those wavy chestnut locks and that infectious smile. She was taking to a dark haired woman who looked to be about the age he now knew Liza to be, and a blonde college aged looking girl. That's when Charles realised who she was – the hair and eyes were different but there was no mistaking the resemblance – she was Liza's daughter.

As Liza hadn't noticed his presence, he had the opportunity to just watch her in her world. This was a side of her he'd never seen before – Liza the mother, and it suited her. He'd always known she was great with kids, he'd seen that with how she interacted with his girls – they loved her and they were notoriously hard to please. But seeing her with her own daughter, seeing them laugh together and the obviously strong bond they had, it gave him a better understanding of why she'd gone through with this charade – Caitlin had needed help and Liza, being the loving mother that she clearly was, did whatever she had to to provide for her. Even if the lie had hurt him, he reasoned that there was no better reason for doing something so crazy than that.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Bob clapping him on the shoulder. "See something you like?" Bob teased, smirking at him.

Charles blushed, having been caught staring. "What? No, I was just people watching."

"Uh-huh" Bob was not convinced. "That's Liza Miller – I've been wanting to introduce you to her for a while, she'd be perfect for you. She's single, smart, loves books – and she's beautiful."

Charles didn't tell him that he already knew this, and her. "How do you know her?" he asked, perplexed as to how his worlds could have intersected without him realising.

"Her daughter Caitlin is Rose's best friend at college, and her roommate. From what Rose has said, Caitlin's Dad cheated and left them high and dry, but Liza's always been there for her and made sure she never wanted for anything. She seems like a pretty incredible woman."

"Yeah" Charles agreed, not taking his eyes off Liza.

"You should talk to her – it might take your mind off of your pseudo twenty-something."

Charles opened his mouth but no sound came out. He didn't think he'd ever heard anything more ironic in his life. "Erm…Liza is actually-"

"Oh, hold that thought - I've just seen Rose trying to sneak some alcohol into her soda".

Charles watched in amusement as Bob retrieved Rose's drink from her and poured it down the sink – he had all of this to come with his girls. As he turned back around he blinked a couple of times as he came face to face with a sheepish looking Liza and a beaming Julia.

"Charles, I'd like you to meet Liza Miller – Liza's daughter Caitlin is Rose's roommate at college" Julia introduced. "Liza, this is Charles Brooks - he's Bob's best friend." Charles glanced at Julia who was looking expectantly between the two of them and smiling, waiting for them to greet each other.

Charles almost found the uncomfortable look on Liza's face comical but he was equally unsure how to handle this situation himself. He did what he thought would raise the least questions and held his hand out to Liza, keeping his gaze firmly locked with hers. "It's nice to meet you Liza"

After a moment's hesitation, Liza grasped his hand and held it firmly. "You too"

* * *

AN: I actually wrote the Bob and Julia part about previously having wanted to set Charles and Liza up BEFORE I saw last night's new promo, so I'm feeling pretty crystal-bally right now lol! Thanks for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Huge thanks once again for your wonderful comments - as always they are amazing and I can't emphasise enough how greatly they are appreciated! :) I hope you continue to enjoy it :)

* * *

LIZA

Ever since Liza had left Charles's office, all she had been able to think about was Christmas Eve. She'd been replaying their conversation over and over again in her head. Whilst she had had a major case of foot in mouth disease, she was pretty sure he'd asked her out. He wanted to take her out to dinner and talk – that was a date, right? A swarm of butterflies invaded her stomach every time she thought about what that could mean. When Caitlin started hammering on her door and telling her to hurry up or else they'd be late, she was given a reprieve from her obsessing and over analysing. She quickly threw together an outfit that would pass as suitably festive, then hurried out the door with her impatient daughter and Maggie.

Bob and Julia had definitely gone all out with the holiday theme – there were trimmings, fairy lights and ugly Christmas jumpers in every direction. Mini versions of traditional Christmas food were also being handed around. If you weren't a Christmas person, this would be torture. Despite her original reservations, Liza actually started to enjoy herself though. She caught up with Caitlin and Rose and listened to their latest exploits from college, and laughed at Maggie's running commentary on the outfit choices of the party guests. She was glad she came – she was spending time with two of her favourite people in the whole world, and she hadn't spent nearly enough time doing that recently.

Liza even plastered a smile on her face and made small talk when Julia accosted her in the lounge, wearing a particularly gaudy Christmas jumper that was an exact replica of her husband's. She chatted away about how Rose and Caitlin were getting on with their courses, and complemented her on her decor. The conversation got a little awkward however when Julia decided to play matchmaker.

"There's a guy I really want to introduce you to – I think he'd be perfect for you!"

"Oh", Liza stuttered uncomfortably, "thanks but I'm not really looking to date anyone at the moment - I'm just focusing on my career right now."

Julia was not put off in the slightest. "Nonsense! We're women - we multitask – there's no reason you can't do both! He said he was coming tonight" Julia started scanning the room looking for this mystery guy she thought would apparently be perfect for her. "Ah, there he is!" Julia smiled in triumph, linking her arm with Liza's and pulling her towards the lounge. "He's a good friend of Bob's – they've known each other since college. He's a great guy – you'll love him!"

The guy's back was turned as Liza was dragged towards him and she wasn't wearing her glasses, but as he came into focus there was no mistaking the 6"5 Norse God of a man she was about to be 'introduced' to. "Oh dear God!"

Julia chuckled. "Yeah, he tends to have that effect on women!"

As they came to a stop behind him, he turned and did a double take when he saw her, and she wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Julia smiled widely at them both and introduced who she thought were two people who had never met before. "Charles, I'd like you to meet Liza Miller – Liza's daughter Caitlin is Rose's roommate at college. Liza, this is Charles Brooks – he's Bob's best friend" Liza smiled awkwardly at Julia and then chanced a glance at Charles, who looked equally as surprised as her to be having this conversation. Julia seemed to be waiting in anticipation for them to greet each other and whilst she was trying to figure out what to say, Charles surprised her by holding out his hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you Liza"

His gaze was so intense and she was so surprised, it took her a few moments to respond. "You too" was all she could manage as the familiar sparks shot through her veins when her skin touched his.

If possible, Julia's smile widened even further and she clapped her hands – presumably to congratulate herself on playing Cupid. "Well, I'm going to leave you two to get to know each other. Have fun!" And with that Liza watched as she practically skipped out of the lounge and over to Bob and said something into his ear. Liza inwardly rolled her eyes as both Bob and Julia then looked over at her and Charles, huge smiles on their faces.

"Well that wasn't even slightly awkward" Liza joked.

Charles chuckled, "yeah I think they're trying to set us up".

"Really? Yeah, Julia telling me that you'd be the perfect guy for me wasn't a giveaway at all"

"Yeah Bob seems to think you'd be perfect for me too" Charles seemed to get a little shy then, and dropped his gaze in that way she had always found endearing. They smiled at each other and Liza was about to suggest they go and get a drink when Caitlin came bounding over to her and grabbed her arm.

"Mom, come on - everyone's doing karaoke, we have to have a go!"

"Oh, I don't know about that..."

"Come on mom, don't be such a buzz kill - we have to! We do it every year – it's tradition!" Caitlin gave her those puppy dog eyes that she'd perfected as a little girl and Liza knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Yeah but that's usually in the privacy of our own home, not in front of 50 people!"

"Ah who cares - most of them will be too drunk that they won't remember anything that happened tonight anyway. Besides, we're not even going to be together this Christmas so we won't get another chance."

Liza sighed - protesting was futile. "Okay fine - but no Christmas songs!"

Caitlin smiled in victory and then noticed Charles. "Hi" she greeted him, "You don't mind if I borrow her for a while do you?"

Charles returned her smile. "Of course not, go ahead."

Liza glanced back over her shoulder at Charles, who nodded his encouragement, as Caitlin dragged her towards the makeshift karaoke stage.

Caitlin flicked through the song choices before smiling as she settled on one. "This one is perfect!"

Liza's eyes widened in horror at her daughter's choice of song. "Oh no – I'm nowhere near drunk enough to sing that song in front of…all these people!" There was also no way she could sing that in front of Charles.

Caitlin pouted. "Oh come on mom - you used to sing that to me all the time when I was little, it has memories."

That song definitely had memories, and not just with her and Caitlin. "Is there no other song you want to sing?"

Caitlin grinned smugly. "Nope. Plus you said no Christmas songs, and this isn't a Christmas song."

Liza rolled her eyes - her daughter was too clever for her own good sometimes. "Fine. But I'm going to need another drink first!" Caitlin passed her a glass of what looked like some sort of fruit punch from the table and she downed it in one. She must be crazy to agree to this.

Her head felt a little fuzzy when Caitlin dragged her up to the stage area and handed her a microphone. As the first strains of Berlin came through the sound system, Liza once again willed the floor to open up and swallow her. Caitlin took her hand, and she was glad of the distraction as they began singing their slightly off key rendition of 'take my breath away'.

 _'Watching every motion_

 _in my foolish lovers game...'_

Liza kept her eyes on Caitlin for the whole of the first verse, but when the chorus began and she sang _'Take my breath away... Take my breath away'_ , her eyes unconsciously found Charles's across the room and she held his gaze as she remembered the last time they had been together when this song had played, and how good it had felt to be in his arms as they danced. She was so caught up in her memories that she didn't realise the song had ended until Caitlin took the microphone from her and nudged her to get off the stage.

"See, I told you it'd be fun!" Caitlin beamed at her. "Thanks mom - you're the best!" Caitlin hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before hurrying off to go and speak to Rose again.

"Interesting song choice" Liza turned around to find Charles's smiling shyly at her.

Liza blushed. "It was Caitlin's idea".

"It's a great song"

"It is"

"Your daughter seems nice"

Liza beamed with maternal pride. "She is - she's a great kid"

"You've done a great job with her - you should be proud."

They stood there smiling at each other like a couple of teenagers until Bob came over and apologised for interrupting, but said he really needed to speak with Charles. Liza guessed it had something to do with work as she knew Charles never really fully switched off. She didn't see him for the rest of the evening, and it was only as she, Caitlin and Maggie were collecting their coats that she spotted him by the door.

Deciding to take a leap, Liza took Caitlin's hand and pulled her over towards Charles. "Caitlin, there's someone I'd like you to meet"

Charles smiled warmly at them both as they came to stand in front of him. "Caitlin, I wanted to introduce you to Charles. Charles, this is my daughter Caitlin. Caitlin this is Charles Brooks."

Caitlin smiled at him and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you Charles. So how do you two know each other?"

"We erm, we work together" Liza informed her.

"Oh, you're not a costume model as well are you?"

Charles looked confused. "Costume model?"

"Caitlin saw me at the Crown of Kings launch in Times Square when I was wearing the PamPam outfit."

Charles smiled in realisation. "I'm not a costume model, no - and neither is your mom. She was just helping us out that day – she definitely went above and beyond." He glanced at her as he said "She does that a lot - she's, she's pretty great".

Liza blushed at his praise. Caitlin seemed to approve of his comments too as she smiled back at him. "She is a pretty great mom"

"Well, greatness seems to run in the family – I hear you're at Yale".

Caitlin smiled proudly and went on to tell him all about her classes and her achievements this year. Charles listened attentively and seemed genuinely interested in taking to her. Liza couldn't help but smile watching the two of them together and seeing her two worlds collide so effortlessly. After saying their goodbyes, Maggie and Caitlin headed outside, leaving Liza alone with Charles. She wasn't quite sure where they were with goodnight protocol at the moment - should she hug him? Kiss him on the cheek? Or just bid him good night? Thankfully Charles made the decision for her and shyly kissed her cheek. Her skin ignited where his lips touched her skin and she got goosebumps as his breath tickled her ear when he murmured "It was good to see you tonight Liza".

Liza smiled warmly at him. "It was good to see you too Charles"

"I'll see you on Christmas Eve."

With one last smile over her shoulder to him, she walked down the steps over to Caitlin and Maggie.

"He seems really nice" Caitlin commented with a knowing smile, then smirked mischievously as she added, "He's totally into you – it was so obvious. He couldn't take his eyes off you!

Maggie choked on a laugh. "Sweetie, you have no idea!"

Liza glared at her, but couldn't stop it turning into a smile. After all this time, even with all of the obstacles that had been thrown in their path, she and Charles might finally be able to take their chance.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: thank you for your awesome comments - I love reading them :) There was a bit of a drop in reviews for the last chapter so I hope you're still enjoying it. Here's the next chapter :)

* * *

CHARLES

The one person Charles had wanted to spend the evening with was the last person he actually expected to see at Bob and Julia's party. He also never expected to meet Liza's daughter tonight either. After he and Liza had been 'introduced' he'd briefly met Caitlin and he'd immediately liked her. She reminded him a lot of Liza – she had the same strong willed, determined nature that he'd seen in Liza so many times. He found it amusing to watch Caitlin expertly wrap Liza around her little finger – it was a skill his girls had seamlessly mastered with him too.

He wasn't going to miss seeing Liza sing so he'd followed them over to the makeshift karaoke area, where a bunch of people who'd probably had a few too many were taking it in turns to butcher various songs. He was curious as to what song Liza would pick, and as to whether she could actually sing. But when the first strains of Berlin began to play, his jaw dropped in surprise – he wasn't expecting that. That song was now intrinsically linked to Liza and whenever he heard it he flashed back to that night in the Hamptons where they'd danced and kissed to these lyrics – a night where he'd felt more alive than he had done in a very long time.

Truth be told, Liza wasn't the best singer in the world and she should probably stick to publishing, but he didn't care - seeing her up there he was pretty sure he fell a little bit more in love with her. When the chorus began and she started singing 'take my breath away…' their eyes were like magnets and he held her gaze for the rest of the song. Just like it had done when they were in the Hamptons, even though they were in a crowded room it felt like they were the only two people there.

He'd felt like a teenager with a crush speaking to her afterwards, and he would have been happy talking to her for the rest of the night if Bob hadn't interrupted them. He loved his friend, but he had really bad timing. Once inside Bob's study he'd apologised for interrupting him and Liza and for needing to talk business at a party, but he'd said it couldn't wait.

"That son of a bitch Moore isn't giving up – he's insisting he's going to leak details of any indiscretions and misdemeanours of his accusers to the press if you don't make a deal."

Charles cursed in frustration – he couldn't believe he'd been in business for so long with such a despicable human being. "Can he do that?"

"It's not ethical but unfortunately yes he can. …what does he have on them that's so bad?" Charles looked at him but didn't say anything. "Charles, for me to help you, you need to tell me everything."

Charles sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "If I tell you it has to stay between us – you can't even tell Julia."

"Of course – client confidentiality."

Charles nodded and let out a deep breath. "It's Liza".

Bob looked confused. "What's Liza?"

"She's one of the accusers – she works for me – I already know her. She's my 'pseudo twenty-something' as you put it."

If it was possible for Bob's eyebrows to rise off of his face, Charles was pretty sure they would have. In any other situation he would have found his friend's expression funny. "Liza Miller – Liza?" Charles nodded. "Wow, you really know how to pick 'em! So you've been thinking Liza was in her 20's all this time?"

"Yeah"

"…well I guess she does look younger…and that would explain why she was always a bit skittish around me"

"As you know, it took me a while to get my head around it too"

"Looking at the two of you earlier you seemed to have managed it now. Last time we spoke about it you were so angry – and hurt."

"I'm still hurt that she lied to me, but after actually listening to her and having seen her with Caitlin, I can understand why she did it" Charles explained. The hurt and anger he had felt was lessening each day as he gained a deeper understanding of her life.

"So why did she do it?"

Charles felt uneasy about discussing Liza's personal business, but he didn't want Bob to think badly of her – as he had done when he'd found out. "That's her story to tell, but long story short – she needed money to put Caitlin through college and no one would hire a 40 year old assistant."

"Well, points for originality I guess!" Charles chuckled at this as Bob regarded him curiously. "You're still in love with her aren't you?"

Charles thought about this – he was pretty sure that had been set in stone long ago. "Honestly? I can't remember what it felt like to not be in love with her."

Bob smiled at him and Charles relaxed somewhat. Bob had always been there for him and provided an ear to listen when needed. He'd teased him in college for being a hopeless romantic and said it was why all the girls swooned over him – that and because he was 6"5 and looked like he did. Charles had always been modest though and never really noticed.

"Can you forgive her for lying to you?"

"I think I already have."

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this before."

Charles got a distant look on his face as he thought of Liza and all she'd come to mean to him. "I don't think I've ever felt like this before. And I can't let Moore destroy her. Regardless of age, she's great at her job, and I won't let him ruin her career. And let's face it – Empirical really can't afford another scandal either right now."

Bob squeezed his shoulder in support and stood back up. "Leave it with me – I'll see what I can do."

"Okay…and Bob – thank you. I appreciate it."

Charles felt a little better after his conversation with Bob, but he was still on edge. It wasn't until he was about to leave that his mood picked up when Liza brought Caitlin over to him and formally introduced them. He understood how big of a gesture, and olive branch, this was from her – she wanted him to really know her and to be a part of her world, and that meant a lot to him. He really liked Caitlin and could see a lot of Liza in her. She was incredibly smart, funny and kind-hearted – just like her mother.

After Caitlin left he'd had a few moments alone with Liza. He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to stop overanalysing everything and just go with his heart – he leaned down and kissed her cheek, lingering longer than was necessary to whisper in her ear "it was good to see you tonight Liza."

After reluctantly pulling away, Liza smiled at him and returned the sentiment. "It was good to see you too Charles."

"I'll see you on Christmas Eve." After watching her walk away until she was out of sight, he began to feel a little more festive.

* * *

Christmas Eve

Yesterday had felt like the longest day in history to Charles. Liza hadn't been in the office as she'd taken an extra day's leave to spend time with Caitlin before Christmas, and as sappy as it sounded, he'd missed her. He'd spent his time in between meetings trying to think of the perfect place to take her. With it being Christmas Eve and very short notice, most places were fully booked. He decided on the Carlisle as it was a nice place and he thought it would symbolise second chances. Liza was meant to meet him there all those months ago but had pulled out at the last minute, but this time everyone's cards were on the table so it would be different. The Carlisle was also fully booked but he knew the owner and his name held some weight around these parts, so he was able to pull some strings and get them a table. He'd arranged to pick Liza up at 3:00pm - later in the evening would have been a more typical and potentially romantic time to go for dinner, but he didn't want to wait that long to see her. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her to talk, and figure out what they were going to do about this irrepressible thing they'd had between them for so long. He'd made up his mind – he knew what he wanted to do, he just hoped he wasn't too late and that he and Liza were no longer victims of unsynchronised passion, but were finally on the same page.

He'd had a bit of a rough morning, getting the girls ready to go to Pauline's for Christmas and he'd just waved them off. It was hard watching them go as this would be the first Christmas he'd spent without them since they were born. He'd have them back on Boxing Day and they'd have a second Christmas just the three of them, but it wasn't the same. It was 2:00PM and the only thing brightening his mood was the thought that he'd be seeing Liza in an hour's time. So when he looked down at his phone and saw that it was Bob calling him, it was with a sense of foreboding that he answered. He almost didn't pick up but he knew Bob would not be calling him on Christmas Eve if it wasn't an emergency.

Bob was on his way over and would be there in 10 minutes. Apparently some trashy, third-rate newspaper was ready to publish Moore's side of the story, including information about Liza and the other women. Charles sank down onto his couch, his elbows on his knees as he scrubbed his face frustratedly with his hands. Hate was a strong word, and Charles rarely used it, but he hated that man with a passion. With a heavy heart, he pulled out his phone and typed out a text to Liza: 'Liza, something's come up at work that I need to deal with so I'm not going to make it for 3. I don't know when I'll be done but if it's not too late I'll come over later. I'm sorry. C'. He tossed his phone on the table in frustration - if he couldn't meet Liza today, he didn't know when he'd be able to next and they really needed to talk.

Bob clapped him on the shoulder apologetically as they headed into Charles's study. "I'm sorry Charles – I hate to do this to you, but if we don't quash this today then it'll be in print tomorrow."

"It's okay, it's not your fault. So what do we need to do?"

"Well I can come at it from a legal perspective and try and get a gagging order on them, but with the freedom of the press I don't know how successful that will be. Your name holds much more weight than mine in the publishing world - I think you should try talking to them, see if you can come to some sort of agreement."

Charles had never been a huge fan of journalists, they always seemed to be like vultures who would stop at nothing to get a story, and didn't care who they hurt in the process. If reasoning with these people was what it would take though, he would do it. It took forever to finally get through to someone with any kind of authority at the newspaper, and by the time that he did, Charles was pretty much at the end of his tether. The editor he spoke to was initially reluctant to pull the story - for a relatively small newspaper, this would be a big exclusive for them. Being a woman, she sympathised a little more with the situation, but she was still not going to pull the story without something in return. Charles was getting increasingly frustrated, and after hashing it out between the three of them, they ended up being on the phone for over two hours. Eventually, the woman agreed not to run the story as long as Charles agreed to give her an exclusive interview on Moore once the case had been concluded. Charles would pretty much have agreed to anything at this point, so he supposed that wasn't too bad of a compromise.

After finally ending the call, Charles's head was pounding. Bob let out a long breath and plopped down onto one of the chairs. "Well that could have been a lot worse". Charles nodded in agreement, too exhausted to verbalise a response. "But they won't be the last. Moore doesn't strike me as a man that will just give up."

Charles ground his teeth in frustration. "I know. But for now, I don't want to waste another second thinking about that man."

Bob nodded and stood back up. "Well, I'll leave you to it then. If I'm lucky, they'll still be some food left over when I get back."

Charles walked him to the door and shook his hand. "Bob, I really do appreciate all your help. Thank you. Go and enjoy your Christmas, and give my best to Julia and Rose."

"No worries - what are friends for?"

After saying goodbye, Charles closed the door and sighed - this was not how he'd imagined his evening would go. His eyes widened as he looked at his watch and saw that it was just after 9:00PM. He pulled his phone from his pocket and his heart sank when he saw no message from Liza. He scrolled to her name in his contacts and pressed dial but it went straight to voicemail - either she was ignoring him or her phone was switched off. Either option was not good.

After debating with himself for a moment, he made up his mind and called an Uber. They needed to talk, and they needed to talk tonight – he couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed his coat and his things and waited impatiently for his car to arrive. It wasn't unsociably late and he doubted Liza would be asleep - if his car was on time, he could be in Brooklyn by 10:00PM.

Charles's car was on time and he pulled up outside Liza's apartment at 9:58PM. He'd called Liza a couple of times on the way over but each time he just got her voicemail. He was feeling fairly confident whilst in the car, but now that he was stood on the doorstep and waiting for her to answer, his confidence was waning. He buzzed again but there was still no answer. He looked up and saw that the lights were out in what he presumed to be her apartment, and figured she must have gone out. He cursed to himself as he had no idea where else she might be, and with her not answering her phone he was a bit stuck.

It was cold out and it was starting to snow but Charles didn't want to give up just yet. He remembered she'd told him she was spending Christmas with Maggie so she had to be coming back at some point - he would wait. He'd kind of been waiting for her since he'd met her, so it wouldn't hurt to wait a little longer. He pulled the collar up on his coat, and sat on the step under the porch, as out of the elements as he could get. He tried to use the time to work out what exactly he wanted to say, but his brain was too wired and wasn't cooperating. After about an hour he was beginning to lose hope, and feeling in his fingers! A noise to his right however caught his attention, and he looked up to see Liza come to a stop in front of him, a look of confusion and surprise on her face. He stood up to greet her, which took some effort as his muscles seemed to have frozen up, but at this point he didn't care – it was much later than he'd wanted, but he was with her now. He smiled at her and sighed in a mixture of relief and exhaustion from the day he'd had as he greeted her.

"Hi"

* * *

AN: I know there wasn't as much LC interaction in this chapter (much like 5x05!) but I felt the content was necessary to build the story. Apologies! There will be more in the next chapter I promise! :)


	10. Chapter 10

AN: As always, your comments make me smile and really inspire me to write more :) Thank you! This is the longest chapter so far and it's a real turning point for CL...hope you like it!

Oc7ober: glad you liked that line - I could see Charles saying it when I wrote it :)

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LIZA

"So, Charles huh?" Caitlin teased as Liza helped her pack her things. Liza rolled her eyes at her nosy daughter and Caitlin smirked. "He seemed nice – I liked him."

This made Liza smile. "You did?"

"Yeah", Caitlin replied, "he's obviously really into you, and he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say – like he wasn't just pretending to get in your good books."

Liza was happy that Caitlin liked him. "Yeah he's a good guy".

"Plus, he seemed just as dorky as you so I think you're a good match."

"Thanks" Liza replied dryly, rolling her eyes, but having Caitlin's approval meant a lot to her.

"So what's going on with you two? Are you dating?"

"We're...we're working things out"

Caitlin scrunched her eyebrows. "And what does that mean?"

"It means there are feelings there, and there's a lot of possibility, but there's been a lot of obstacles in our way so far and we need to work those out before we can move forward."

"Life's too short Mom - you're both single, he likes you, you like him – don't make it more complicated than it needs to be"

"Says the fountain of relationship knowledge", Liza teased.

"Hey, I'm just all for living in the moment and not complicating things."

Liza thought she could actually be onto something there. "Well I'm seeing him later today actually"

Caitlin wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Oh yeah?"

Liza threw a rolled up pair of socks at Caitlin, causing her to laugh. "Don't give me that look - it's not like that." Liza wasn't quite sure how much she believed herself as she very much wanted it to be like that.

"There's no judging here Mom" Caitlin replied, "Look, you're single, you're still young – just do what makes you happy. That's all I want for you."

Caitlin leaned over and kissed on the cheek and Liza was touched by her words. Maybe she should listen to her daughter and take a leaf out of her book.

After waving Caitlin off when David picked her up, Liza set about getting ready to meet Charles. She wasn't sure where he was taking her so that made choosing an outfit problematic. He said they were going to dinner, but she didn't know how fancy the place would be. As she flicked through the outfits in her closet, she decided on dressy but not too dressy. After about half an hour she settled on an ivory chiffon dress with lace detailing – Maggie assured her it was elegant and classy with but with an undertone of sexy. She also said that Charles wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her - and that it probably wouldn't stay on long anyway, but she'd ignored that comment. Next she set about doing her hair – she wanted to look like she'd made an effort but not like she'd gone over the top. She styled it into loose waves that hung around her shoulders and complemented the dress. She added a touch of make-up to complete the look – she never wore much in the way of make up so she just added enough to bring out her eyes and lips.

By 2:30 PM she was ready and nervously examining her appearance in the mirror. When her phone flashed with a message from Charles she got excited at the thought that he might have arrived early. All excitement drained from her however and she sunk down onto her bed as she read his message.'Liza, something's come up at work that I need to deal with so I'm not going to make it for 3. I don't know when I'll be done but if it's not too late I'll come over later. I'm sorry. C'. Great – she'd spent the last couple of hours getting all dressed up for nothing. She'd allowed herself to get her hopes up, and he was bailing. She sighed in frustration and tossed her phone on her bed. She'd thought they were moving forward, but for every step forward they seemed to take two steps back. She considered the fact that she may be being a bit hard on him - she didn't know what was going on with work, but right now all she could feel was disappointment.

As she walked into the kitchen to get a drink, Maggie frowned at her. "What's with the face?"

"Charles just texted - something came up at work, he's not going to make it."

Maggie looked at her sympathetically before pushing her back towards her room. "Come on, get your stuff - we're going out. We're not wasting all this effort - Charles's loss is my gain."

Liza tried protesting but Maggie was having none of it. They ended up in a bar a few blocks away - it was a little louder than she was in the mood for, but it provided somewhat of a distraction. Maggie even managed to get her to crack a smile a couple of times. After a couple of hours they left and went to get some food and Maggie did her utmost to cheer her up. Liza really did appreciate her efforts but she couldn't fully shake the sense of disappointment at not getting to see Charles tonight. After they'd eaten, they stopped at another bar - this one much quieter, to have one more for the road. Whilst they were there, Maggie bumped into one of her old flames. Liza told her to go and speak to her, and assured her that she'd be fine getting home on her own. She hugged Maggie and thanked her for looking out for her tonight and for putting up with her miserable face.

Stepping out into the crisp winter night, she pulled her coat tightly around her. It was snowing but as she was only a block away, she decided to walk. The fresh air would do her good and hopefully help shift her mood. As she walked back to the apartment she thought about the last time she'd seen Charles at Bob and Julia's party, and how keen he had seemed to meet up with her today. But then he'd cancelled last minute. She thought about calling him, but decided against it. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the figure sitting on her step until she was practically in front of him. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was Charles. He'd said he might come over later if he finished early enough, but she'd thought he was just trying to soften the blow.

He smiled as he stood to greet her. "Hi" he breathed.

"Hey" she replied, still not believing he was actually here. As she stood there staring at him she noticed how cold he looked. A layer of snow had set on the shoulders of his coat and he was trying to hide it, but he was shivering. "Charles, how long have you been sitting here?" she asked, her concern for him taking over.

"Oh erm, not long - maybe about an hour."

Liza's eyes widened. Okay, now she felt bad - she'd been sat in a nice warm bar whilst he'd been sat outside in the snow waiting for her. "An hour?! Charles, it's freezing out here - you'll get pneumonia!"

Charles gave her a small smile, "I'll be fine."

Liza refrained from rolling her eyes – men! Whether he thought he was immune to the cold or not, he needed to get warmed up. She took a step past him and opened the door. Turning around she offered him her hand. "Come on, let's get you inside and out of the snow".

Charles looked from her hand to her face then back again, before taking her hand in his and letting her lead him inside.

Once inside the apartment, Liza reluctantly let go of his hand. "Okay, take off your coat and go and sit down" she instructed, gesturing towards the couch. "I'm gunna go and get you a towel and a blanket."

"Liza, I'm fine - really. You don't need to go to any trouble" Charles protested.

Liza wasn't having any of it though. She gave him a look, that she'd perfected on Caitlin, that told him there was no point arguing as he would not win. Charles seemed to understand her look, and wisely did a she'd said. "You're not fine - you've been sat outside, in the snow, in sub-zero temperatures for over an hour. What were you thinking?"

Charles looked at her shyly, "I just wanted to see you."

Liza's heart melted, and all the annoyance she felt at him for standing her up, evaporated. "Why didn't you just call me?"

"I did, a number of times - but it just went to voicemail."

Liza pulled out her phone from her coat pocket and pressed the home button, but nothing happened. "Oh, my battery must've died - sorry." She must have forgotten to charge it earlier. She smiled apologetically before instructing him to stay put and telling him she'd be back in a minute.

Once inside her room, she shed her coat and threw it on her chair. She grabbed a towel from her closet and a blanket from her bed and went back out to the lounge. Charles's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly as she came to stand in front of him. She was slightly confused at his reaction until he spoke.

"Wow! Liza...you look...amazing!" He drank her in from head to toe and she realised Maggie had been right about her outfit. The look in his eyes was making her hot, despite the temperature they'd just been in. "Was that…was that for..."

Liza found his lack of sentence skills amusing as he was usually so eloquent. "Was that for you?" she finished for him. Charles just nodded. "No, this was for Maggie" she teased.

Charles sensed she was joking and smiled warmly at her. "Well, Maggie is very lucky." Liza got the meaning behind his words and he held her gaze as he continued, "I'm sorry I'm so late. And I'm sorry I didn't get to take you out - I'd have loved to have taken you to dinner wearing that dress, even if it was for Maggie."

Liza smiled at his teasing. "You're here now - that's all that matters." Remembering the items she had in her arms, she sat down next to him and shyly reached over and gently brushed a drop of water from his forehead with her thumb, before handing him the towel. "Here, you're all wet."

Charles thanked her and took the towel. He rubbed it back and forth over his hair, causing it to stick up adorably in every direction. "What?" he asked with a chuckle, seeing her smiling at him.

"Nothing" Liza replied, but the smile didn't leave her face. She took the wet towel from him and tossed it on the chair, then told him to lean forward as she wrapped the blanket around his shoulders.

The look he gave her was so intense it sent shivers down her spine. It said so much, but he simply vocalised "Thank you".

Having Charles so close, looking at her like that, alone together in her apartment she suddenly felt nervous. "Would you like a hot drink?" She needed something practical to do to distract her from how close Charles was. "It'll help warm you up...erm we have tea, coffee, I think we have hot chocolate..."

Charles smiled and placed his hand gently on top of hers. "Liza, I'm fine – honestly. But thank you."

The touch of his hand sent a rush of warmth from where his skin touched hers, throughout her whole body. She looked from his hand on hers back up to his face, then her gaze dropped to his lips – she really wanted to kiss him. They'd only kissed a handful of times before, but each time it had been electric and she longed for that feeling again. If the sensations just touching her hand evoked were anything to go by, she thought she might pass out from the intensity if they did anything more than kissing!

Charles smiled shyly at her and ducked his head, a blush rising on his cheeks – he was definitely feeling it too! He looked a little nervous as he shrugged off the blanket and reached for his coat, retrieving something from the inside pocket. "I erm, I got you something – for Christmas."

Liza's eyes widened in surprise as she took the neatly wrapped package that he tentatively held out to her. "Thank you – you really didn't have to though. I feel really bad that I don't have anything for you".

Charles gently took her hand in his and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, then held her gaze with his. "Liza…you've already given me so much. For the past year, besides the girls, you've been what I look forward to in my day. You've made me feel like me again…and I'm sorry for my behaviour towards you lately – I'm ashamed of the way I've been treating you."

"No, Charles – you had every right to be angry and hurt. I'm the one that should be apologising – I should have told you sooner."

"Maybe, but I could have handled it better. How about we draw a line and leave it in the past, because I'm more interested in the future?"

Liza smiled warmly at him. "That sounds good to me". Remembering the gift in her hand, she lifted it and regarded it curiously. "Do you want me to open this now?"

Charles grinned, "Well it is almost Christmas."

She carefully took off the wrapping paper to find a deep red gift box, and curiously lifted the lid. She gasped in shock when she saw what was inside. "Charles! Is that…? But I thought you sold this?"

"I pulled that one from the auction." He told her shyly. "You said that was your favourite Hemingway and you seemed so taken with it when I took you to the exhibition, so I kept it for you."

Liza opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out – she was too stunned as she looked between Charles and the 1st edition copy of 'A Moveable Feast'. "Charles this is incredible!" she told him as she delicately lifted the book from its box and opened the cover. "But it's too much – this must be worth a fortune!"

"I wanted it to go to a good home, and I can't think of a better home than with you."

The sincerity in his eyes and his thoughtfulness made her throat tighten and a tear come to her eye. Seeing this, Charles cupped her cheek and brushed away the lone tear that had escaped. She really didn't feel like she deserved this man. "So you like it then?"

"Like it? Charles, I love it!" She paused and her heart hammered in her chest as she looked him straight in the eye and decided to take a leap. "…and I love you."

It felt like an eternity as she waited for him to reply. She watched as a flurry of emotion played across his face, from shock to awe, and then as a smile lit up his face she saw pure happiness. His voice cracked as he replied, "I love you too Liza."

She let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Charles was still cupping her cheek and his thumb moved to brush softly over her lips, which parted at the sensation.

"I want to be with you" Charles breathed, "I've always felt that there was something between us, and I want to give it a chance – I want to give us a chance. I think we could be incredible together Liza. Do you want this?"

His eyes held so much hope, like his whole world depended on her answer. "I felt it too" she whispered, "and I want to be with you".

A look of sheer happiness and relief lit up Charles's entire face. He wasted no more time and closed the remaining gap between them, brushing his lips over hers. It started out tentative but when Liza moaned in pleasure and grasped his shirt to pull him down onto her so he was pressing her into the couch, the kiss became more desperate and passionate. Lips caressed and tongues dueled as a year's worth of pent up desire came to the fore. When they broke for air, Charles kissed a tantalising path from the nape of her neck to the sensitive spot just below her ear. Liza had never been so turned on in her entire life and she was already seeing stars from the sensations he was stirring up in her. With the way his hips were pressed into hers, she could feel he wanted her just as badly, and that thought was incredibly heady. "We can't go back to how we were after this", she gasped breathlessly. The majority of her brain couldn't focus on anything other than what Charles was doing to her, but the tiny rational part that was still managing to function somewhat needed to know that he was sure about this.

Charles paused his torturous ministrations on her neck for a moment and cupped her face in his hands, smiling down at her with a look of adoration. "I don't want to go back. I want to move forward – together" he whispered. And as his lips met hers once more, that was all the assurance Liza needed.

* * *

AN: So I'm in the process of writing the next chapter and it picks up right where we leave off here...I'm torn between keeping it as a T rating or pushing it more towards M - what would you prefer? I'll go with the majority :)


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Thank you for your reviews - I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter :) So you voted and 100% were in favour of this chapter being M rated lol! ...I guess after 5 seasons of build up they deserve it, right?! I haven't changed the rating for the story overall but this chapter is definitely more towards the M end of the scale, so just a warning if you're uncomfortable reading that kind of thing. I always feel a bit weird trying to write sex scenes but I really tried to do them justice and get the balance right, so hopefully it's not too much, or too little, and you guys like it :) ...I'll be hiding my face in my hands as I wait to hear what you think lol!

CHARLES

When Liza had disappeared into what he presumed was her bedroom, after instructing him to sit down and take off his wet coat, Charles had had a few moments to take in his surroundings. It felt kind of surreal to be in Liza's apartment – she'd been to his home a number of times but he'd never been to hers before tonight. Looking around he saw little touches around the place that told him she lived here – a manuscript on the coffee table, a well worn copy of Anna Karenina on the arm of the couch, and a mug that made him smile when he read the words 'World's Best Mom'.

As Liza reentered the lounge, he forgot all about looking around the room though as he couldn't take his eyes off of Liza. She'd been wrapped up in a big coat when they'd came into the apartment but she'd taken that off now and was stood in front of him looking absolutely incredible. He'd seen her dressed up before for work events, and he'd always thought she looked beautiful, but he couldn't think of a word that would do justice to how stunning she looked in that dress right now. He kicked himself for missing the opportunity to take her out wearing it, although it would have taken every ounce of his willpower and restraint to sit next to her in a public place and maintain decorum. He told her she looked amazing and stumbled over his words as he rather un-eloquently asked if she'd worn that for him. She'd smiled and told him it was in fact for Maggie, but the teasing look on her face confirmed she'd worn it for him, and his pulse quickened a little at the thought.

If he knew anything about women, he knew Liza had probably spent a lot of time getting ready and she likely was pretty pissed off when he'd said he couldn't make it, so he made a point of apologising. If she had been annoyed with him, she seemed to have forgiven him now though and the way she was looking at him as he dried his hair with the towel she gave him, was altogether distracting.

Charles was a little nervous about giving Liza the gift he'd brought for her. After apologising to each other and agreeing to focus on the future rather than the past, he'd watched the utter shock and then pure joy cross her face as she picked up the first edition Hemingway he'd kept for her from his parents collection. He'd decided he was going to give it to her the same night he'd taken her to the exhibition and seen her face light up when she saw it. There was no way he was going to sell that one. He'd been keeping it all this time, waiting for the right moment to give to her – and tonight seemed like that right moment. He'd been pretty sure she'd like it, but nothing could have prepared him for her reaction.

"So you like it then?" he'd asked timidly. He already knew the answer really – Liza was practically giddy with excitement, but he just wanted to hear her say it.

"Like it? Charles, I love it!" She paused and looked nervous as she looked him in the eye. The next words she said made his whole world stop – four little words that he'd only ever dreamed of hearing from her, but never actually thought he would. "... And I love you".

His jaw dropped and he gasped. She loved him. After all this time, and after everything they'd been through, she loved him. He could hear her say that on repeat all day and never tire of hearing it. He was unable to control the smile that took over his whole face and he heard the hitch in his voice as he replied, "I love you too Liza".

The relief was evident on her face, like she wasn't sure that he'd reciprocate. Could she really not tell how much he cared about her? He'd tried to tell her often enough. Although, he realised, he didn't blame her for doubting him considering how he'd been treating her recently. That was behind them now though – they were starting afresh with a clean slate. There was so much he wanted to say to her, he didn't know where to start. "I want to be with you. I've always felt that there was something between us, and I want to give it a chance – I want to give us a chance. I think we could be incredible together Liza. Do you want this?"

He could feel his heart thudding in his chest and the blood pounding in his skull as he waited for her answer. When she whispered the words "I felt it too. And I want to be with you" he breathed a sigh of relief, and felt like he'd just been given the world.

No more talking – they were done talking. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his, trying to pour all of his emotions into that kiss. Every nerve ending in his body awakened and fire ran through his veins as what started out tentative, soon became more desperate as their need for each other overtook them. When Liza grabbed his shirt and pulled him down on top of her, their bodies melded together and he felt dizzy from the feeling of every inch of her body being pressed against his. Her moans of pleasure were too much for him and his body reacted. As he began kissing her neck, he knew they were about to cross a line.

"We can't go back to how we were after this" she gasped breathlessly. He pushed himself up on his elbow and cupped her cheek with his other hand. He couldn't help but smile at the love and longing he saw in her eyes. She was checking that he was sure, that he really wanted this and wouldn't regret it, and he wanted her all the more for it.

"I don't want to go back. I want to move forward – together". She nodded almost imperceptibly, but he saw it and needed no more encouragement to return his lips to hers. She gasped as his hand lightly brushed her breast as he ran it down her body from her neck to settle on her hip. It was his turn to gasp when her hands started exploring his body – she tugged his shirt out of his pants and her hands left a trail of heat as she ran them up and over the muscles in his back. She got a little braver as she moved them between their bodies and started tugging at his belt. He pushed himself up on his arms, eager to give her better access, but cursed when he realised he'd got his foot stuck in the couch. Her amusement at his predicament was infectious and they laughed together – after everything that had happened, it was cathartic.

"I don't think this couch was designed for people your height."

Charles chuckled, "I think you may be right."

The look she gave him was carnal when she said "my bed is bigger."

He didn't need to be told twice. She gasped in surprise as he stood and scooped her into his arms, bridal style, and carried her into the room he'd seen her come out of earlier. He kicked the door shut with his foot and leaned down to kiss her before setting her back on her feet in front of the bed, but held her close. The air around them was electric. His fingers trailed a featherlight path from the back of her hands, up her arms and then cupped her face, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

"As much as I love this dress, I would really love to take it off." Liza answered by turning around and holding her hair to the side so that he could get to the zipper. He flashed back to that night at the opera where he'd helped her zip up her dress, but this time he was helping her take it off. He slowly slid the zipper down to the small of her back and gently slid the straps down her arms, never stopping touching her. He watched as the dress slipped from her body and pooled at her feet, wanting to savour the moment. His breath caught in his throat and he hungrily drank her in as she stepped out of the dress and turned back to face him wearing just her bra and panties and her heels. She blushed and ducked her head at his scrutiny of her near nakedness. Charles tilted her chin gently with his thumb so she was looking in his eyes. "Liza, if I haven't already told you this – you're beautiful."

She smiled and seemed to regain her confidence at hearing his compliment. She reached up and undid his tie, never breaking eye contact. "As much as I love this suit" she murmured, mimicking the words he'd said to her, "I would really, really love to take it off."

Charles couldn't find the words to reply so just nodded mutely. His breath quickened as she pulled off his tie and achingly slowly undid each button on his shirt, her hands skimming his abs as she did so. His shirt soon joined his tie and her dress in a pile on the floor. His belt soon followed and his legs began to tremble as she undid the button on his pants and her hands slid just inside the waistband. With one final push they slid down his legs and he kicked them off, along with his shoes. Her eyes widened as her gaze dropped to his very obvious and prominent arousal. He reached around behind her and made quick work of ridding her of her bra. He ran his hands up her sides and skimmed over her breasts, watching in satisfaction as her nipples hardened under his touch.

There were now only two thin layers separating them, but Liza clearly felt that that was two too many as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and pushed them down his legs. As she stood back up she stroked him tentatively and he jerked in her hand, a gasp escaping his lips. He closed his eyes as she touched him and felt himself harden even more. The feel of her hands on him was exquisite. He needed to calm down or this would be over far too soon. He stilled her hand and smiled at her before picking her up and placing her in the centre of the bed. She reached down to remove her heels, but he stopped her and gave her a wicked grin, "keep them on." Her look of surprise turned into one of lust as he climbed onto the bed with her and kissed his way from her ankle to her hip. He trailed wet kisses from her navel up to her neck, paying special attention to each of her breasts. Her eyes were closed and she was panting as he made his way back down her body. Almost in slow motion he pulled her panties down her legs, removing the last remaining barrier between them. He smiled in satisfaction when she gripped the sheets as he peppered kisses along her inner thighs. She was so responsive to his touch and she threw her head back as he ducked his down and gave her her own taste of page 58. He didn't stop until she cried out his name in ecstasy, and as she shuddered in release, he climbed up her body and swallowed her cries with his kisses.

When she came back to earth and opened her eyes, he held her gaze as he slowly slid into her. They both gasped at the feeling of finally being being joined and took a moment to just enjoy the sensation. He was home – this was where he wanted to be, this was where he belonged. Charles began to move, slowly at first but then with more urgency. As Liza wrapped her legs around his waist, he picked up the pace. He could feel her in every cell of his body – never before had sex felt this incredible. When he felt her getting close, he looked her in the eyes as he slowed it back down, wanting to intensify the feeling for her. When she gripped his hair and sighed his name, gasping that she needed him, it was his undoing. He sped up his ministrations, building them both up to the precipice and pushing them over the edge of oblivion together. Being inside of her as she exploded around him, and seeing the look on her face - knowing it was him that had brought her all that pleasure, was the most intense and intimate experience of his life.

Charles rolled off of Liza and pulled her into his arms, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. They were both breathless and smiled shyly at each other as they came down from their highs. That was incredible, and Charles would be more than happy to just stay like this forever. He glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was just after midnight. As Liza rested her head on his chest, he placed a protective arm around her and whispered softly in her ear, "Merry Christmas Liza."

AN: So there you have it, they've finally sealed the deal! I'd love to know what you thought :)

* I probably won't be able to post tomorrow unfortunately as I have a really busy day at work and I doubt I'll have time to write. If I get a few spare moments I'll work on the next chapter but I don't want to post something that's rushed and that I'm not happy with. I'll definitely post on Tuesday though and then I'll be back to daily postings :)


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Happy Younger Day! :) Obviously I'm very excited for the new CL scenes, but I'm also curious to see how close I was with my Shelter Island chapters!

I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter and CL finally sealing the deal! I loved reading your comments in the reviews - as always, THANK YOU - I really appreciate them!

I'm sorry I couldn't post yesterday - I did try to find some time to write but my 24 hour shift turned into a 30 hour shift, so I ended up writing this pretty late at night. Im not 100% happy with it but I didn't want to go another day without getting something out to you, so I hope it's ok!

LIZA

Liza blinked as she stirred and started to wake. She smiled as she registered her sleeping position – her head was still rested on Charles's chest, her arm slung over his stomach and her legs entwined with his, whilst his arm was wrapped around her back. She looked up to see that Charles was still asleep, a contented smile on his face. A warmth filled her heart, knowing that she had had something to do with causing that smile. She took the opportunity provided by his unconscious state, to study him - every beautiful inch of the 6"5, green eyed Adonis sleeping peacefully next to her. Her body started to heat up as she replayed everything that happened last night in her mind.

If Liza had thought that her dream about her and Charles going at it in his office up against the bookshelf was the best sex she'd ever had, well it paled in comparison to the real-life version. Oh my – that man was just on a whole other level to anything she'd experienced with anyone before in her life – ever! What they'd experienced last night (multiple times) was mind blowing – literally! It wasn't like a first time – it was like he knew her body and what she liked, as if they'd been doing this for years. If they could be so in sync with one another already, she couldn't even begin to imagine the heights they could reach together with some practice. He was a dark horse too, although having read Marriage Vacation she should have known he had a kinky side, and she couldn't say she wasn't a fan!

He'd picked her up in his strong arms, like she weighed nothing, and carried her to her bedroom. That alone was a turn on, but when they'd started to undress each other and she'd gotten to see what was underneath his suit...if her jaw wasn't attached it would have been on the floor. She'd flashed back to the 'empiriconda' photos, but even those didn't do him justice - Charles was ripped, and huge - and for a few moments she'd panicked that there was no way that was going to fit! When she saw him fully naked for the first time, she couldn't help but touch him. He'd hissed at her touch and jerked in her hand, miraculously seeming to grow even bigger. When he'd laid her down on the bed she'd almost passed out from the sheer overload of sensation as his hot mouth kissed every inch of her body – every single inch! She blushed as she recalled certain inches of her body he'd paid particular attention to and the unbelievable ecstasy he'd bought her. Before she'd even come down from that high, he'd proven that he did indeed fit – he filled her deliciously to the absolute hilt, but he did fit – perfectly. She'd never had multiple orgasms before, but as Charles started to move, slowly at first then harder and faster, she was pretty certain that would not be the case for much longer. He'd teased her by slowing down again when she was on the brink, only to build her up and do the same again until she was panting his name breathlessly. When he finally allowed her to find release, they climaxed together and she literally saw stars. The look on his face as he came was one she would never tire of seeing – it was carnal passion and exhilaration, and she almost came again from just watching him.

Liza was stirred from her memories by Charles kissing her on the forehead and running his fingers gently up and down her back. "Morning" he murmured, his voice husky from sleep.

Liza looked up and found him smiling down at her. She smiled shyly back at him. "Good morning". It had been so long since she'd had a 'first time' with a guy, she wasn't quite sure of the morning after protocol. "Did you sleep okay?"

Charles grinned, "I did. You?"

Liza returned the smile. "Yeah. Erm, would you like some breakfast?"

Charles got the same look on his face as he'd had last night when he told her to keep her heels on. "Oh erm, I think breakfast is a great idea". She gasped as he started peppering kisses behind her ear and down her neck, and as he pressed his body into hers and she felt his arousal poking her in her hip, she knew what he wanted for breakfast – and that was fine with her! She giggled in happiness as he rolled them over so that he was on top of her. As they lost themselves in each other once more, she realised that there was no rulebook - they would just go with the flow and do what felt right to them. And being with him – it felt right.

After another hour of making love, Liza lay contentedly in Charles's arms, idly tracing circles on his chest with her fingers. She looked over at her nightstand and saw that it had just turned 9AM. She'd told Maggie that they'd spend Christmas Day together and they'd planned to cook a full traditional Christmas dinner, so she should probably get up soon. "As much as I'd love to stay in bed all day with you, I should probably get up and help with preparing dinner." Charles smiled as they sat up. "What have you got planned for today? I know the girls are with Pauline..."

Charles ducked his head and looked a little sheepish. "erm, I was just going to read through a couple of manuscripts, catch an old movie...maybe order in later."

Liza's eyes widened in surprise. If she hadn't have asked, he would have just gone home and spent the day alone – there was no way she was going to let him spend Christmas Day on his own. "Charles, it's Christmas day - you can't do work at Christmas, and you can't spend it on your own either. You can spend it with us – here."

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude - you were going to spend it with your roommate, and I wouldn't want to gatecrash."

"You wouldn't be!" Liza assured him, "I've seen the turkey Maggie bought - there's enough there to feed all of Empirical! You'd be doing us a favour - we'll be eating that thing for weeks if we don't have help."

Charles chuckled, "Won't Maggie mind?"

Liza waved her hand dismissively, "Of course not - Maggie will be fine."

"Okay, but only if you sure it's alright."

"I'm sure, and Maggie will be too."

Charles smiled warmly at her. "Thank you." Even if last night hadn't happened, there was no way she'd have let him spend today on his own. Plus this way she got to spend more time with him, and she wasn't ready to be apart from him just yet.

After showing Charles to the bathroom so he could take a shower, Liza headed to the kitchen where Maggie gave her a knowing look.

"Sooo, did reality live up to fantasy?" Maggie teased.

Liza blushed, realising Maggie must've heard them. She didn't think they'd been that loud, but she had to admit with the things Charles was doing to her she couldn't help but make some noise! There was no way Maggie was going to believe that nothing had happened so Liza just went with the simple truth, "Oh, it exceeded it!".

Maggie's eyebrows rose, clearly impressed. "Wow – I guess it's true what they say about the quiet ones! Although you two definitely weren't quiet last night!"

Liza blushed again. "I'm sorry if we kept you awake."

"Oh don't worry about it - I wasn't sleeping either" Maggie smirked, causing Liza to roll her eyes and chuckle. "Malkie left about an hour ago, she's spending the day with her family."

"So are you two back on?" Liza asked, hoping to take some of the heat off of her.

Maggie, realised her game however and was having none of it. "Oh no, that can wait – we're talking about you, and how you finally got it on with your hot boss!" Liza rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that was tugging at her mouth. "So are you guys a thing now?"

Liza thought about it for a moment – they hadn't really discussed labels but they'd both agreed that they wanted to give this thing between them a shot. They'd said 'I love you' – that was pretty serious! "We had a really good talk – we both apologised and agreed to focus on the future rather than the past, he wants us to move forward – together, so I'd say we're definitely building towards something."

"Well it's about time – you've been pining over him for far too long! I thought I was gunna have to kick his ass!" Liza chuckled, knowing that Maggie wasn't actually joking. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

"I am happy. Thank you." Liza smiled. "Do you mind if he stays for dinner? Pauline has the girls so he'll be on his own if he goes home."

"Of course, it's not like we don't have enough food" Maggie assured her, gesturing to the small food mountain she'd just started to prepare. "Plus, it'll give me chance to interrogate him – make sure his intentions are pure. Although, from the look on your face when you came out of that bedroom, I'd say they're not totally pure!"

Liza couldn't really disagree with that statement but she fixed Maggie with what she hoped was a stern glare. "Maggie, don't be too hard on him okay – please?".

Maggie gave her her best innocent look, "As if I would!". Liza raised her eyebrows and Maggie just laughed in response.

Charles clearing his throat behind them pulled her from her conversation a few minutes later. She smiled as she turned her head to see him standing shyly with his hands in his pockets, his hair still wet from his shower. "Hey" she greeted him warmly, gesturing for him to take a seat next to her at the breakfast bar and pouring him some coffee. "Charles, this is Maggie. Maggie, Charles" she introduced.

"Thank you". Charles smiled at her in gratitude, then turned to Maggie and held out his hand, "Hi, it's nice to meet you. Liza's told me a lot about you."

"Likewise" Maggie replied, shaking his hand. Liza wasn't sure if the 'likewise' was in reference to it being nice to meet him, or the fact that she'd told her a lot about him!

"Thank you for letting me stay for dinner. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Can you cook?" Maggie asked.

Charles smiled proudly, "I can – I cook for myself and the girls as often as possible."

"Don't you have chefs who do that for you?" Maggie jibed. Liza glared at her.

Charles didn't seem phased though and just chuckled good-naturedly, "No, I don't have chefs – the only staff I have are at Empirical. And I've been cooking for myself since I was a teenager. I do make a mean roast dinner."

Maggie regarded him curiously but seemed satisfied with his response. She held a peeler out to him and gestured at the pile of potatoes. "Here, show me what you've got."

Charles seemed pleased to be included and eagerly got started on the potatoes. As he continued to chat to Maggie, he looked over at Liza and smiled – that smile that he seemed to reserve only for her and always sent a tingle down her spine. Liza couldn't help but smile back at the two people who meant the world to her getting along.

The three of them chatted for a while as they peeled and chopped, until Liza felt satisfied enough that Maggie wasn't going to terrorise Charles, to excuse herself to go and take a shower. Once she'd freshened up, she moved to her room to get ready. Her curiosity got the better of her though and she left the door slightly ajar, standing to the side of it so she could eavesdrop on their conversation. It was in fairly safe territory for a while – cooking related, then Charles enquiring about Maggie's artwork. But then Maggie decided to make the most of having him alone and follow through with her promise to interrogate him.

"She really cares about you you know"

Charles paused in his task and looked up at her, but he seemed to have been expecting an inquisition. "I know" he replied softly, "I didn't, but I do now."

"And how do you feel about her?" Maggie prodded. Liza rolled her eyes at Maggie's bluntness. She was torn between wanting to rescue Charles and wanting to hear his answer.

She could imagine him blushing as he replied, "I care about Liza – a lot, more than she knows. And I have done for a long time." Liza's heart swelled at his words. 'More that she knows' – he'd told her he loved her, how much more could there be?! A little shiver ran down her spine at the thought.

Maggie paused for a few moments, perhaps considering what Charles had just said. "Liza's like the best person I know, and she literally has the kindest heart. I know she lied, but she had good intentions. It hurt her when you were being all salty McSalty with her."

They'd already talked about this last night – she knew he felt bad about it and she didn't want him to feel any worse.

"I understand why she did it now. I was hurt that she lied, but I should have heard her out sooner. I'm ashamed of my behaviour towards her."

"Good, you should be – because you were kind of an ass!"

Liza grimaced and thought that now might be the time to go and rescue him. Impressively though, he seemed to be holding his own and actually laughed at Maggie's comment. Liza guessed that being a CEO must have taught him a thing or two about staying calm and collected under pressure. "I'd say that's a fair assessment."

"Don't hurt her again" Maggie warned, "Because if you do, then I'll have to hurt you!"

Liza felt bad that she'd left Charles alone to face the full force of Maggie, but the sincerity in his response made it worth it. "And it would be nothing less than I'd deserve. I won't hurt her again, at least not intentionally. I care about her too much to do that – she means the world to me."

"Good, then I think we'll get along just fine." Liza heard glasses clink and she smiled at the exchange. She didn't need Maggie's approval but it meant a lot to her to have it. She knew her and Charles would have a number of challenges ahead - big ones, but she felt confident that it would be worth it and that they would take them on and win - together.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: So I called Charles leaving Liza on Shelter Island and the subsequent slamming of the manuscript down on the desk - shame we didn't get the conversation and the kiss! I did love the scene with them drunk and laughing though :) I've got high hopes for the next episode and I'm interested to see if I got any of it right!

Thank you as always for your reviews for the last chapter :) This chapter has a little less CL interaction but as much as we'd like them to, they can't stay in their little bubble forever...

CHARLES

Waking up with Liza in his arms was something Charles had frequently dreamed about, but scarcely believed would ever become reality. So, waking up on Christmas morning with her head on his chest and their limbs entwined, was one of the best gifts he could have been given. He usually felt awkward waking up with a woman for the first time, but with Liza it just felt natural – it had always felt natural with her. They'd made love again that morning, and it was just as incredible as the night before – his seemingly insatiable desire for her, unable to be quenched.

He'd expected to go home in the morning – he had no plans as the girls were with Pauline, but he knew Liza had planned to spend the day with Maggie. However, when Liza found out that he was planning on spending the day alone she had insisted that he spend the day with them, and wouldn't take no for an answer. He didn't want to intrude, and he was a little nervous about meeting Liza's roommate, but he wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to her yet either.

Meeting Maggie was interesting. He'd tried to appear confident, even though inside he was feeling anything but. The two women clearly had a very strong bond, and Maggie was obviously protective over Liza, so her approval was important to him. She'd seemed to be sizing him up, but he held his own. When Liza went to have a shower and left them alone, Charles knew he'd be getting the best friend interrogation. They'd chatted amicably for a while – Charles had complimented her on her artwork, which he was genuinely impressed with. But then, as expected, she'd wanted to know what his intentions were with Liza. Charles knew she was just looking out for her friend and only wanted what was best for her, and he respected that. He was glad Liza had had someone in her life to fight her corner, so he answered as honestly and as fully as he could. He told Maggie that he cared very deeply for Liza and that he'd do everything in his power not to hurt her. Maggie had said that if he did then she would hurt him, and he'd told her that he would deserve it. He'd seemed to pass her test and they'd chatted easily whilst preparing the dinner until Liza returned.

He had a great day with Liza and Maggie – he hadn't smiled and laughed so much in a long time. The dinner that they'd all helped to prepare was delicious, and they'd all eaten about a week's worth of food in one sitting. They'd drank and played cards afterwards – Maggie had proven to be a poker genius and had beaten him and Liza every time. Being too full to move, they'd then watched a movie in the lounge. He couldn't tell you what movie it actually was as he wasn't paying attention – he was too busy watching Liza, who had curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. It was such a natural move, like a habit that they'd been doing for years, and it gave him a warm feeling inside. He'd wrapped his arm around her and idly brushed his fingers up and down her arm. He blushed when Maggie caught him watching Liza rather than the screen, but she just smiled at him.

When it started to get late, Charles thanked Maggie for having him and they hugged, a new appreciation between them. He stood at the door with Liza, reluctant to say goodbye and wanting to prolong the moment. He held one of her hands in his, and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear with his other. "I had a great time today…and last night."

Liza beamed at him, "Me too. I'm glad you came." Her eyes widened and she stuttered as she continued, "erm came over - I'm glad you came over."

Charles chuckled at the look on her face. "I'm glad I came over too." And he was, immensely glad, and he wouldn't change the past 24 hours for the world. He decided to tease her a little more though, "What did Maggie mean when she asked you if the fantasy lived up to reality?"

The colour drained from Liza's face, before an adorable blush covered her cheeks. "You heard that?"

Charles tried his best not to laugh at her horrified look and just nodded in response.

"urgh, this is so embarrassing" Liza replied, covering her face with her hands.

Charles smiled at her, and gently pulled her hands away from her face so she was looking at him. "Tell me" he prodded softly.

Liza looked at him and sighed. "Okay fine. I had a dream about you."

Charles bit back a smirk - teasing her was fun. "What kind of dream?"

Liza rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to make me say it?". The smile on his face must have told her that yes, he was going to make her say it. "I had a sex dream about you".

Charles couldn't control the grin that took over his face. He'd figured that was probably what they were talking about, but he just wanted to hear say it. Liza was looking a little embarrassed and avoiding his gaze so he cupped her face with his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb as he spoke to her softly. "Hey, I've dreamt about you too".

"You have?" Liza seemed surprised, but pleased she hadn't been the only one.

"Yeah". And he had, many times. In fact he'd dreamed about her most nights for the past few months. He placed his hand on her hip and pulled her closer to him. He bent his head down and tenderly brushed his lips over hers. It wasn't hurried or demanding like some of their previous kisses had been, and he didn't try to deepen it, but it was no less intimate. When they pulled apart, Charles rested his forehead on hers and inhaled her scent. "Goodnight Liza, and thank you - for everything."

Liza smiled at him and squeezed his hand, "Goodnight Charles."

Charles was in a happy bubble all night and into the morning, the smile never leaving his face. He greeted the girls enthusiastically when they were dropped home, pulling them both into a hug. "Hey! Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"Yeah..." Nicole replied rather unconvincingly. He frowned as he saw that they looked rather subdued. He'd spoken to them on the phone yesterday and they'd seemed okay.

"What's wrong girls?" Charles asked, crouching down so he was at their level.

Nicole looked at Bianca, and there seemed to be some sort of sister telepathy going on, before she looked up at Charles. "We missed you Daddy. Is this what it's gonna be like every Christmas now you and Mommy are getting divorced?"

Charles's heart clenched at the look on his daughter's face. He felt like a really shitty father right then. By failing in his marriage, he'd also failed his girls. They were suffering because he and Pauline had messed up. He rationalised that seeing the two of them in an unhappy marriage would have been worse for them in the long run, but he still felt bad. He took one of each of their hands into his and tried his best to explain. "Sweetheart, it will be different now that Mommy and Daddy don't live together any more. Sometimes at Christmas you might be with me and sometimes you might be with Mommy, and sometimes we might split the day so you get to see us both. But you need to know that we both love you very much and we want you to be happy, so if you're not then you need to tell us, okay?" Both girls nodded. He still felt terrible – he would literally die for his daughters and he hated the thought of them being upset, especially when he was partly to blame. He had been so busy with work lately he hadn't spent enough time with the girls, which is what they needed – especially with the big change that was going on in their lives right now. He needed to rectify that. "How would you girls like to go up to Pound Ridge for a few days – just the three of us." The girl's eyes widened in excitement, he knew they loved it there and this would be good for them. "We can get some fireworks for New Year and we can do whatever you want."

"Yes please!" Bianca was bouncing up and down in excitement and Nicole had a big smile on her face. "Can we go now?"

Charles laughed at their innocent enthusiasm. "Why don't you go and pack your things and then we'll head off." They didn't need to be told twice and ran up the stairs holding hands, chatting animatedly about all the things they could do whilst they were there.

When they pulled up at the Pound Ridge house and he took in the look of pure joy on the girls' faces, he knew he made the right decision bringing them here. He pulled out all the stops to give them a good time and take their minds off of the divorce. They hiked, built snowmen and snow forts, watched movies, played board games and roasted marshmallows over the fire. They talked and laughed, and just enjoyed spending time together. The girls were happy, and that made him happy. They hadn't done these things for a while and Charles felt bad about that. They'd missed him and he vowed to spend more time with them. They would only be little for so long and he needed to make the most of that time because when they hit their teenage years, they wouldn't want to spend time with him anymore.

He worried how they'd react to having another woman in his life. They loved Liza, but they'd only known her as a babysitter. He wasn't sure how they'd react to finding out that she was with their Dad. Would they be okay with it? Or would they hate the idea of another woman taking Pauline's place in his life? He wondered if he was being a bad father by bringing another woman into their lives so soon. The last few weeks had been so emotionally draining, he was exhausted. He had no experience with this situation – when he married Pauline he'd thought they'd be together forever, so he was in novel territory and didn't know how to handle it for the best.

On New Year's Eve, as promised, he bought some fireworks and when night-time fell he set off a huge display in the garden for the girls to watch. The excited looks on their faces and their squeals of delight when the fireworks lit up the sky made the extortionate price he'd paid for them totally worth it. He did it early as he knew they would be asleep before midnight, and as he tucked them into bed and kissed them goodnight, he was glad he'd made the effort to do this.

He hadn't had any contact with anyone since they'd left for pound Ridge. He called Liza just before they left to explain that he needed to spend some time with the girls as they were having a hard time with the divorce. She'd been very understanding, and having been through the same thing herself with Caitlin she knew what it was like. Caitlin was older however when her parents got divorced, so she probably had a better understanding of what was going on. His girls were still babies, at least to him anyway, and he didn't know how much they fully understood. They'd had a good time though out here and he hoped that they would get used to their new reality, and that the divorce wouldn't have too much of a negative impact on them.

Charles looked at the clock and saw that it was five minutes until midnight. He poured himself a scotch and went out onto the balcony that overlooked the garden. He took a swig of his drink and enjoyed the burn that went down his throat. He didn't know how everything was going to work out, or how he was going to get all of his worlds to mesh. The only thing he knew for certain was that he missed her. He hadn't seen or spoken to her in six days, and he missed her. As midnight hit, he pulled out his phone and texted just one person. "Happy New Year Liza. X"


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Thank you to my regular reviewers who review every chapter (BenoightLangson, Oc7ober, SPCLjmm and my guest reviewers) as well as my new reviewers who've just found the story - I love reading your comments and they give me a lot of motivation! Also thank you to the guest reviewer who said my story was better than Marriage Vacation - I haven't read it but that's a big compliment and made me smile :)

So we're moving onto Charles and Liza being back at Empirical after the holidays now and all the complications, hilarities and fun times that could ensue! Hope you enjoy :)

LIZA

7 days – 7 days was how long it had been since she'd seen Charles. Since they'd met Liza didn't think she'd gone more than 4 days without seeing him, and that was before anything had happened between them. After what they'd shared on Christmas Eve, 7 days felt like 7 years. Maggie had taken great delight in teasing her about her grouchiness over the past week, and she had no doubt that she'd been a nightmare to live with. She felt for Charles and the girls, she really did - she knew how tough and confusing divorce could be on the whole family. She just wanted to know that he was okay. She missed talking to him, she missed being near to him – she just missed him, plain and simple. She'd never felt like this before – her relationship with David was never this intense, even with Josh she could go days without seeing him and it wouldn't bother her. In hindsight she probably always knew it was never going to work long-term with him, so she hadn't fully emotionally invested in him. But with Charles it was different – he was her first and last waking thought, every day. With him, unlike with Josh, there was a real possibility of a future together as well.

Empirical was reopening today after the holidays and Liza had never felt quite so eager to get to work. She was showered, dressed and ready to go by 6:30 AM. When Maggie strolled out of her bedroom, still in her nightgown, she smirked as she took in Liza's appearance. "Early start?"

"I've been out for a week - I just thought I'd get in early to get a jumpstart on my backlog of emails." That sounded lame even to her own ears - nobody sane goes in early after Christmas break to answer emails!

Maggie clearly didn't believe her either. "Denial, healthy way to start your day" she teased.

Liza glared at her. "Okay fine – I want to see Charles. It's been over a week since I've seen him and it's driving me crazy!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed"

Liza glared at her again. "You're supposed to be being supportive!"

Maggie sat down next to her at the breakfast bar and squeezed her arm. "Okay – I'm sorry. I'm totally supportive."

"Urgh - I'm pathetic!"

"You're not pathetic. You guys have been dancing around each other for over a year, you finally did it and let out all those secret feelings - it's natural for you to miss him. Plus, if the sex was as hot as you said it was, it's no wonder you're having withdrawal symptoms! Just march into his office and scratch that itch – you'll feel much better for it!"

"Thanks" Liza said dryly.

"You're welcome" Maggie smirked.

"I'll see you later."

Liza picked up her things and headed for the door. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh when Maggie called after her. "Just remember to lock the door this time – you don't want the janitor interrupting you again!"

* * *

Liza arrived at work by 7 AM, and unsurprisingly found herself to be the only one there. She knocked on Charles's door, and peered around it when no one answered, only to be disappointed to find that he wasn't in yet either. She didn't actually know for certain that he would be in today, she'd just presumed. With a sigh she sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. She figured she may as well make herself useful and make good on the lie she'd told Maggie about why she wanted to come in early and actually answer some emails. So caught up what she in her mundane task that she jumped when Diana screeched her name, demanding coffee. She was surprised when she saw the office had filled up and that it was 8:30 AM already.

She hurriedly prepared Diana's coffee, just as she liked it, and brought it into her office. She set it down on the desk as Diana reeled off a list of tasks. "Got it!". Before she had chance to turn to leave, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she knew who had just walked in the door.

"Diana, good morning. Liza." His voice softened on her name, unnoticeable to most, but she heard it.

Liza turned around and did a double take when she saw him. She had only ever seen him clean-shaven before, not even a bit of stubble, but now he had a full on beard. From the looks of it he hadn't shaved since Liza had last seen him. Charles must have realised she was staring as he blushed.

"Charles, how are you? How was your Christmas?" Diana greeted him.

"I'm good thank you Diana." He glanced at Liza, a small smile on his face as he continued. "And I had a wonderful Christmas - it surpassed my expectations. How was yours?"

Liza smiled at Charles's description, and wasn't listening as Diana said something about not being big on holidays. When Charles excused himself, Liza was lost in her thoughts of him and his new beard. She regained some of her ability to concentrate and focused back on Diana who was regarding her curiously. "Did you hear a word I just said?"

Nope. "erm yes, yes I did." Liza frantically searched her memory for any recollection of what Diana had just been talking about. Diana raised her eyebrows in an 'I don't believe you, but please continue' manner. "erm you were saying that we have a very busy day and I should get on with my list." That was vague enough to be believable, right?

Diana rolled her eyes. "No. I was actually saying that I need Charles's signature on this artwork." She tapped impatiently on an envelope on her desk. "Now."

"Right, yes – of course. I'll get right on that." Liza hurriedly picked up the envelope and stumbled out of Diana's office, before she could encounter her wrath.

Liza took a deep breath before knocking on Charles's office door, then entered when he said "come in".

Charles stood when he saw it was her, and came around in front of his desk to meet her. "Liza, hi" he breathed.

Liza was so overwhelmed by having him so close after what felt like so long, that all that came out of her mouth was "nice beard".

Charles laughed at her unorthodox greeting. "Yeah I didn't bother shaving whilst I was away with the girls."

"It's nice, I like it – makes you look rugged."

Charles snorted, "and also homeless" he deadpanned. "I think I'll be getting rid of it tonight."

A comfortable silence settled over them as they just stood there looking at each other, shy smiles on their faces, until Liza remembered the reason she'd been sent here in the first place. "Oh, Diana wants your signature on these". She held up the envelope in her hand then placed it on his desk.

Charles looked over at the envelope and nodded, then looked back at her. A thousand emotions were displayed on his face as he said, "I missed you". The rawness and tenderness in his voice made her heart clench.

Liza smiled as she replied softly, "I missed you too". "How are the girls?"

"They're good - they're doing much better. They seem happier - I think the break was good for all of us."

"I'm glad, I know divorce can be tough on kids. But those girls are strong - they'll bounce back, and they adore you."

"I hope so. I just don't want to be responsible for causing them any more anguish."

"You're a great father Charles - nobody can dispute that. And if you ever need to talk, you know where I am."

Charles smiled warmly at her. "Thank you Liza, I appreciate that."

"So...how do we..." Liza gestured with her hands, trying to conjure up the words..

Charles seem to understand what she was trying to ask. "How do we handle this at work?" he finished for her, gesturing between the two of them.

"Yeah" Having had a week to herself with plenty of time to think, she'd been wondering this a lot.

Charles ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I hate pretending, but with people still being in the dark about your age and with the Moore scandal still being up in the air, I think we should keep it between us for the time being. Just until things are a bit more settled. What do you think?"

"I think you're right. I don't want us to hide, like we're doing something wrong. But I get that now's not the best time to go public." Liza had had her fill of lies by this point, but she knew it was sort of necessary with everything that was going on at the moment.

"So, we're professional in the office...and we're us outside of work?"

'Us' - she liked the sound of that. Liza nodded, "it might be nice to have something that's just ours for a while."

Charles smiled, "yeah".

"Are you going to the media shoot later?"

"I am. That book could be a godsend for Empirical."

Liza beamed. Diana was taking her to the cover shoot for Empirical's latest acquisition this afternoon. Presales had spiked beyond all expectation, mainly due to Diana's marketing campaign. Knowing that Charles would be there too now made her day look a whole lot better. "I'll see you there then."

"You will."

They shared one last smile before Liza exited to get on with her work, but the smile stayed on her face all morning.

* * *

Liza was enjoying the shoot - her heart was definitely in editorial, but she'd always found marketing interesting. A good marketing campaign could make or break a book, and she enjoyed seeing that come to life. She was also enjoying being away from the office with Charles, and the fact that whenever she would look over at him he would already be looking at her and they'd share one of their secret smiles.

Liza was snapped out of her eye flirting by Diana barking at her. "Liza! Run down to Birch and get me some coffee. The swill they serve here is undrinkable!"

"erm okay – be right back." She grabbed her purse and blushed as she headed for the stairwell, feeling like a teenager who'd been caught making out with her boyfriend by her parents.

She'd almost reached the bottom of the stairs when she heard her name being called, and looked up to see Charles following her down. "Hey" she smiled, "did you want some coffee too?"

"No". His voice was husky, the look in his eyes carnal, and before she knew what was happening he was kissing her with unbridled passion, her back against the wall as his body pressed into hers. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue mated with hers and she grabbed a fistful of his jacket, partly to pull him even closer and partly to steady herself as the intensity of his kiss was making her knees weak. When his hand made contact with the bare skin on her back she almost lost it - she'd been craving his touch for over a week and the sensations were overwhelming. She didn't know how long they'd been in the stairwell – all semblance of time was forgotten. They only pulled apart when the need for oxygen became too much. They stayed pressed against one another, panting breathlessly and smiling goofily as Charles brushed a stray tendril of hair from her face.

"I think we've failed at the being professional in the office plan" Liza joked, although she was definitely not complaining.

Charles laughed, "yeah I think we did. Although technically we're not in the office." He had a mischievous look on his face and Liza loved seeing this playful side of him.

"That's a valid point."

Charles cupped her face with his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I just...needed to be near you."

The intensity in his voice and the look on his face made her heart beat faster. She had no idea how she'd managed to resist him for so long. "I know the feeling." She leaned up and kissed him once more, this time softer and less hurried, but with a promise of more to come. She sighed, "I'd better go and get Diana's coffe before she gets caffeine withdrawals."

"Okay". Charles smiled and stepped back to let her past and Liza immediately missed his body heat. With one last glance at him over her shoulder, she left before she had chance to get lost in him again. If their working days had little stolen moments together like this then she was going to love her job even more than she already did.

Liza had checked herself in the mirror before she came back to make sure her lips didn't look too kiss swollen - they were redder than usual but they didn't look too bad. Diana gave her a curious look when Liza handed over her coffee, perhaps due to the smile on her face as she'd caught Charles's eye on the way in. He'd had to leave earlier than them as he had a meeting so Liza was able to concentrate a little better on what Diana was saying.

When her and Diana walked back into Empirical's building after finally finishing, Liza's stomach dropped when she saw who was waiting for them - this couldn't be good.

"Pauline, what a pleasant surprise."


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Thank you to my lovely reviewers: BenoightLangson, SPCLjmm, Oc7ober, Meliaes, Kate and my 4 guest reviewers - your comments really do make my day and I love reading them :) I'm so glad you're enjoying my take on Season 5 and that you look forward to updates!

Here's the next chapter - hope you enjoy :)

CHARLES

Charles walked back into the office for the first time that year, exchanging pleasantries and small talk with co-workers as he went, but there was only one person he really wanted to speak to. He scanned the room for the familiar head of wavy brown hair, that just a week ago he was running his fingers through. He sighed when he didn't see her and made his way to Diana's office, intending to casually enquire as to her whereabouts.

As he stepped over the threshold there was no need to ask as she was right there, standing with her back to him and talking to Diana. When she turned and their eyes met, he felt it – that buzz of electricity that always crackled between them whenever they were near each other. Liza seemed transfixed on his face, or more specifically his beard - shaving hadn't been high on his list of priorities when he was away. He resolved to fix that tonight – this definitely wasn't his favourite look, it was itchy and Liza hadn't been the first one to stare at it. When Diana had asked about his Christmas, he'd answered in a way that he'd hoped Liza would understand just how much it meant to him. The smile on her face told him that she'd got his meaning.

They'd had a few moments together in his office afterwards when Liza had brought him some documents to sign. They'd talked about the best way to handle their new dynamic at work – he absolutely hated having to pretend and lie, but given the current precarious situation the company was in because of the Moore scandal, and the fact that Liza's age was still not common knowledge yet, keeping their relationship under wraps for the time being seemed like the only feasible option. He still had no idea how he was going to get his home life, his personal life and his work life to intertwine without something blowing up, but the excitement and warmth he felt whenever he saw her told him that any fight they'd undoubtedly be up against, would be worth it.

* * *

At the media shoot Charles wasn't able to keep his eyes off of Liza for more than a few moments. It was like he was drawn to her and he had no control over it. He'd glance over at her and catch her gaze and they'd share secrets smiles. He knew he was acting like a love-struck teenager, but he couldn't help it – he felt alive around her, whereas before he'd met her he felt like he'd just been existing.

All the looks made him yearn to touch her again. It had been too long and his body physically ached to be near her. When Diana sent her on an errand to get coffee he seized the opportunity and took off after her, mumbling something about going to the bathroom. He hoped Diana wasn't paying attention to where he was going as he didn't need to use the stairwell to get to the bathroom.

"Liza!" He called out as he saw her nearing the bottom, taking the stairs two at a time to catch up with her. She smiled and asked if he wanted some coffee too. His answer was simple – "No" – that wasn't what he wanted. Without any preamble he stepped forward, pressing his body into hers, and kissed her with all of the pent up longing and desire that had built over the past week. She was like a drug that he couldn't get enough of, and the feel of her lips on his set every nerve ending in his body alight. When she moaned into his mouth he almost lost it, and it took all of his willpower not to pick her up and carry her to the nearest lockable room – his need for her was insatiable. When she did leave to get Diana's coffee, he'd had to wait a few minutes to calm himself down before going back, in order to avoid embarrassing himself.

Charles had had to leave earlier than Liza and Diana as he had a meeting with his accountant and Empirical's HR manager about the company's current financial situation. The three of them sat in the conference room and hashed out the financials and how to meet payroll. The company was struggling, but if Marriage Vacation was as big of a success as it looked like it would be, that would give them a lifeline and keep them afloat – for now. The loss of the LL Moore franchise had hit the company hard financially, but this was his grandfather's company – it had been in his family for generations and Charles was determined not to let it go under. The accountant suggested getting an investor, but Charles recalled the debacle they'd had before with Bryce. He wasn't keen, but he told them he'd think about it. He'd rather find another way out of this hole, but if an investor was the only way to save the company then he'd have to consider it. He'd just have to make sure that this time it wasn't some jumped up little boy who thought that books were a thing of the past and anyone over 35 was a relic.

The meeting took longer than expected and after walking his colleagues to the elevator he looked around the office for Liza and Diana as they should've been back by now. He was confused to find Diana's office closed and empty so headed to Kelsey's office to check if they were there. Charles frowned upon only finding Kelsey there. "Hi Kelsey, erm do you know if Diana and Liza are back yet?"

"erm yeah they got back a while ago but Pauline turned up and wanted to see them – wouldn't take no for an answer, so they went out again."

Charles got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Everything was on schedule with Marriage Vacation - the marketing and promotion were done and the book was in the shops – there was no need for a meeting. Whatever Pauline's reasoning for meeting them was, it couldn't be good. He wasn't sure where her head was at lately as they hadn't had much contact, keeping conversation to the bare minimum when picking up and dropping off the girls, so he was anxious to find out why she'd wanted to meet Diana and Liza – particularly Liza.

After twiddling his thumbs for half an hour, Charles saw Diana waltz in off the elevator - but no Liza. As casually as he could manage he made his way over to her. "Diana, I hear you had a meeting with Pauline?"

Diana rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And what a waste of two hours that was! She had some half baked idea about a sequel where Kate finds out Carl has been cheating on her. I mean really, it sounded awful."

Charles got that uneasy feeling in his stomach again. "And what did Liza think?"

Diana scoffed, "well she tried to be tactful, but if the look on her face was anything to go by, she thought it was terrible too."

"Right. And where is Liza?"

"Oh she's in the bathroom – said she wasn't feeling very well."

"Okay, thank you Diana. And I'll deal with Pauline."

* * *

Charles tentatively knocked on the door to the ladies bathroom. When he heard nothing he pushed the door slightly ajar. "Liza, are you in here?"

There was a pause and then a quiet "yeah".

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

Charles wasn't convinced. "You don't have diarrhoea again do you?" he teased, trying to lighten the mood. He'd realised that when she used that excuse before after the sexual harassment meeting that it was to avoid Bob recognising her. It showed the progress he'd made in his head that he could now find things like that funny.

"Very funny" Liza deadpanned. "No, I don't"

Charles smiled slightly, glad that she was at least talking. "Diana told me what happened with Pauline". There was a pause and Liza didn't say anything. "Why don't you come out and we can talk?"

There was another pause. "Okay."

Charles closed the door to give her some privacy and waited outside the door, feeling a little weird hanging around outside the ladies bathroom. A few minutes later Liza emerged and gave him a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes like it usually did when she smiled at him, so he knew something was bothering her. "Let's go to my office" he said gently. Liza nodded and led the way.

Charles shut the office door behind them and gestured for her to have a seat on the couch. He sat down next to her and wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and give her a hug, but he gave her some space. He could tell she was upset because she wouldn't meet his eyes, and he hated seeing her like this. "What's wrong? What did Pauline say?"

Liza looked up at him and he could see the conflict in her eyes. "She knows".

"Knows what?"

"About us – she knows."

Ah. Charles figured his comment about being 'blind to what was right in front of him' at the book reading may have had something to do with that. "Well I guess she would've found out eventually."

"I know but..." Liza sighed, "I thought she was being weird when she was talking to us about wanting to write a sequel about Carl cheating on Kate. But then when Diana went to the bathroom, she gave me this look and I just knew."

Charles sighed in frustration. This was none of Pauline's business - she lost any right to have a say in who he spent his time with when she left him for another man. She had no right to say anything to Liza. "What did she say?"

Liza looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "She blames me for the divorce – said I was the reason your family wasn't getting back together."

Charles cursed and ran his hands through his hair in annoyance. He would be having words with Pauline as this was totally unacceptable. He shoved Pauline out of his mind for the time being though and focused on the woman in front of him. He placed his hand over hers to still her fingers and encouraged her to look at him. The sad look in her eyes was heartbreaking. "Hey" he soothed, "none of this is your fault - none of it. My marriage was broken beyond repair before I even met you. And the only people responsible for that are me and her. We were never going to get back together, whether you were in my life or not. The divorce is just making official what we already knew. Pauline is just bitter that I have someone new in my life, but she's got no right to take that out when you."

Liza still looked conflicted. "Are we doing the right thing here Charles? I don't want to make things any more difficult for Nicole and Bianca than they already are."

Charles knew things wouldn't be easy but they could make it work. He and Liza had something really rare and he wasn't prepared to give up without giving them a chance. "The girls love you" he assured her, "They'll get used to me and Pauline being apart, and when the time is right I'll introduce you to them, not as their babysitter...but as my girlfriend." He blushed shyly - that was the first time he'd used that term for her.

Liza smiled equally shyly at him. "Is that what I am?"

Charles intertwined his fingers with hers so they were holding hands. "I'd like you to be, if that's what you want?"

The doubt that had been on Liza's face previously was replaced with a look of pure happiness. "It is."

Charles beamed and let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding - those two little words making his heart soar. He wanted to kiss her and show her just how much it meant to him, but he was conscious of where they were. "Don't go home tonight. Stay with me" he breathed, his voice raw with emotion. "The girls are staying with Pauline for a couple of days." The last time he'd said 'don't go home tonight' to her at Pound Ridge, she'd turned him down. But this time he got the answer he wanted as she smiled at him.

"I'd like that."


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Thank you to my lovely reviewers who continue to comment on every chapter - you guys are amazing! Also thank you to my newer reviewers who've just found the story :) I'm glad I can help fill the void between episodes! One guest reviewer mentioned that there weren't enough Younger fanfics - I agree, but I also love that every single one of them on the site is #TeamCharles!

This chapter is a little light relief and covers Liza staying over at Charles's house for the first time. I adapted one of the scenes from Fifty Shades Freed for Liza and Charles which I think you will appreciate ;) Needless to say, this chapter is a little on the M rated side!

Im not sure I'll be able to post tomorrow as I'm doing another 24hr shift at work so I'm unlikely to get much time to write. I will try, but if not I'll definitely post on Monday. Hopefully this chapter will will see you by though... :) Enjoy!

LIZA

Sitting around a table at a cocktail bar with Diana and Pauline was probably one of the most uncomfortable experiences of her life, especially considering that no more than a week ago she had slept with Pauline's soon to be ex-husband – multiple times. When a waitress came by to ask them if they wanted anything to eat, Liza politely declined, knowing her stomach would not handle food well right now.

It turned out Pauline wanted to meet them to discuss a possible sequel to Marriage Vacation. Or so she said – Liza wasn't convinced. When Diana asked her about the premise, she'd looked right at Liza when she said "If Kate found out that Carl had been cheating on her, she might want revenge." If Liza had an inkling that Pauline knew about her and Charles before, she didn't think there was much doubt about it now.

Pauline didn't seem to have thought much further than that and Diana looked decidedly unimpressed. If Liza hadn't been feeling quite so awkward, she'd have found Diana's expression amusing. She was literally wishing she was anywhere else in the world right now. So when Diana excused herself to go to the bathroom, Liza wanted to drag her back and tie her to her chair so she wasn't left alone with Pauline.

"So what do you think Kate should do if she found out Carl had been cheating on her?"

Liza stopped looking longingly at Diana's retreating back and reluctantly brought her attention back to Pauline. "erm I think it would depend on the circumstance."

"He cheated so he's clearly in the wrong."

"Well there are two sides to every story so I'd want to know Carl's side too." If Pauline wanted to play hypotheticals then she'd meet her point for point.

Pauline didn't say anything and studied her for a few moments. "I know you've been sleeping with Charles. You're the other woman – the one I'd convinced myself I was crazy for imagining. But I wasn't crazy, was I Liza? It was you all along – right under my nose."

Liza looked down at the table, feeling guilty. She knew Pauline had seen her as somewhat of a friend, and she hadn't been entirely truthful with her. She sighed - there was no point in lying, and she was sick of lying anyway. "I'm sorry. But I can assure you that nothing happened between us whilst you were back." Liza realised that wasn't strictly true as they'd kissed at Pound Ridge, but she'd put the brakes on and hadn't let it go any further.

"But you are sleeping with him?" Pauline persisted.

Yes. "Nothing happened until after you'd decided to divorce." This was true. Charles had done a lot of yelling, but nothing romantic had happened until after Charles had said he and Pauline were getting divorced.

"He's been in love with you this whole time though hasn't he? I never stood a chance." Liza couldn't really answer that – Charles had said 'I love you' to her, but she had no idea how long he'd felt that way for. "You're the reason my family's not getting back together."

Whoa, now that she could answer. "Okay, hold up. I accept responsibility for not telling you about me and Charles, but you need to take responsibility for the ending of your marriage. You left him – for another man. You left him, and your daughters, for a year - without warning. That's on you – not me." Liza couldn't believe the audacity of the woman – yes she may have been in the wrong for keeping her relationship with Charles from Pauline, but the problems that were there beforehand had absolutely nothing to do with her. Pauline needed to take some responsibility for her own actions.

"But I might have had a shot at getting him back if you hadn't been in the picture."

Liza sighed in frustration, "The problems that you'd had before would still have been there. I backed off when you came back because I didn't want to get in the way if there was a chance that you could reconcile."

Pauline scoffed. "There was never a chance though was there? Not when you were always there."

Liza snapped – she'd had enough of taking on everyone else's anger and guilt. She'd had enough of it from Charles by the time they'd left Shelter Island – and he'd actually had good reason to be angry with her. And she'd already had enough of it from Pauline – she wasn't going to be a punching bag any longer. She sympathised with her to an extent, but Pauline had created her own mess. "If you'd cared about him that much then maybe you shouldn't have left him in the first place!" She hadn't meant to say that quite so forcefully, but it was the truth. If looks could kill, Liza would be dead right now.

Diana thankfully chose that moment to sit back down and regarded the two of them curiously. An uncomfortable tension settled over them and the rest of the 'meeting' dragged horrendously. Liza didn't say anything further to Pauline and only spoke when Diana asked her opinion on something. Diana eventually decided she had better things to be doing and told Pauline that if she was serious about the idea of a sequel then she needed to put together a more detailed pitch and a sample chapter. They said their awkward goodbyes and Liza breathed a sigh of relief when she climbed into the cab with Diana.

"Well that was a total waste of time" Diana deadpanned, "That woman needs to go back to California!"

Liza didn't say anything but as they drove back to Empirical she replayed everything that had been said between her and Pauline. Did she have a point? Were her and Charles doing more harm than good by being together at the moment? Was all the animosity going to damage Nicole and Bianca? She was extremely fond of those girls and she couldn't bear to hurt them.

* * *

By the time they got back to Empirical Liza's head was pounding from overanalysing everything. She told Diana she wasn't feeling well and excused herself to the bathroom, needing some time alone to think. She'd only been in there for a few minutes before she heard a knock on the door followed by Charles's soft voice.

"Liza, are you in here?"

The sound of his voice soothed some of her fragile nerves and he sounded so concerned when he asked how she was. When he asked her to come out so they could talk, she'd taken a few minutes to compose herself then went to his office with him. She told him what Pauline had said and she started to doubt herself again. Charles was pissed – his jaw was clenching and he only ever cursed when he was really angry. But he changed back to the kind, caring man that she'd fell so hard for when he covered her hands with his and looked her in the eye as he spoke.

"Hey, none of this is your fault - none of it. My marriage was broken beyond repair before I even met you. And the only people responsible for that are me and her. We were never going to get back together, whether you were in my life or not. The divorce is just making official what we already knew. Pauline is just bitter that I have someone new in my life, but she's got no right to take that out on you." His voice was like a soothing balm to her frayed emotions. The sincerity in his tone and clarity in his words made her stop doubting herself and what they were building together.

When she asked him for clarification that they were doing the right thing, his voice held no semblance of doubt. And when he talked about introducing her, when the time was right, to his daughters - as his girlfriend, she was a goner. That man could melt ice caps with his words, and the implication of what he'd just said showed her that this wasn't just some temporary thing for him – he really wanted to build a future with her. She didn't hesitate in agreeing that she wanted that too.

His relief and joy at her answer was palpable, and his voice was raw with emotion when he all but pleaded breathlessly, "Don't go home tonight. Stay with me".

She'd flashed back to the last time he'd asked her that when they were at Pound Ridge, and the hurt and confusion on his face when she walked away. This time however, nothing was stopping them and she didn't hesitate in agreeing.

"I'd like that."

* * *

Charles took her hand as they stepped out of the cab and walked up the path to his brownstone. He opened the door and stood aside to let her enter before him then took her coat for her. "I was going to order in, is there anything you'd like?"

"I need carbs after today! How about pizza?"

Charles laughed. "Pizza it is then."

Liza should have guessed that Charles wouldn't just order any old pizza. What arrived was proper Italian pizza from a fancy Italian restaurant that she didn't even realise delivered. After tasting it though she was glad – this beat Brooklyn's take-out pizza hands down. When they finished eating they sat in comfortable silence on the couch. She rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. She giggled when he bent his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Charles smiled in confusion, "What?"

"Nothing, it's just your beard is tickly."

Charles laughed and rubbed his hand over his new facial her. "Yeah I really need to shave that off."

Liza smiled as she had an idea. "Why don't you let me do it?"

Charles raised his eyebrows, "you want to shave my face?"

"Why not?" She liked this idea - it would be fun.

Charles grinned at her enthusiasm and randomness. "Okay"

Liza was feeling confident as she instructed Charles to sit down on the chair in the bathroom and lean his head back over the sink. That was until she realised that he used a traditional shaving brush and cutthroat razor as opposed to a normal disposable one. She'd done this once before for her grandfather when he was sick - she was 16 at the time though and that was the extent of her experience.

Charles noticed her nervousness and took her hand. "You'll be fine - it's easier than it looks. I'll talk you through it."

His confidence that she wasn't going to end up slitting his throat was encouraging. She used the brush to lather up a foam over his face and neck, then put it down on the side when she was satisfied he was foamy enough.

"Come here" Charles opened his legs so she could stand between them to get a better angle.

She picked up the razor and looked back down at him. "You're sure about this?"

Charles smiled, which looked quite comical with a face full of foam. "I'm sure." He guided her hand to his cheek and demonstrated the long, even strokes she should make.

It seemed pretty straightforward and Liza began tentatively gliding the razor over his cheek. Charles kept his eyes on her face the whole time, his gaze never wavering. As she removed the last bit of hair from his left cheek she felt his hand lightly grazing over her thigh.

Liza smiled "I'm gonna end up cutting you if you keep distracting me like that."

Charles smirked mischievously and placed his hand back on his own leg, allowing her to complete her task.

After one last stroke of the blade, Liza proudly examined her work. "All done!". Aside from getting foam all over his shirt, she'd done a pretty good job.

Charles stood up and examined his face in the mirror. He nodded his head, impressed. "Not bad." He turned back around and pulled her into his arms before leaning in and kissing her tenderly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome" Liza breathed. "You've got foam all over me."

Charles looked down and smirked when he saw the foam that had been on him was now also on her. When his eyes met hers again, his usual light green irises had darkened considerably and the look in them was pure heat and desire. "Oh well erm, maybe we should take a shower to clean up."

The temperature rose 20 degrees in an instant and Liza's insides liquefied into a puddle of lust. That electricity between them that was always there when they were near was crackling out of control as she murmured breathlessly, "maybe we should".

Charles reached behind her and flicked on the shower, steam immediately filling the room. No more time was wasted as mouthes collided, tongues duelled and clothes were ripped from each other's bodies - it had been too long. He guided her backwards into the shower and pressed her into the wall as the spray beat down on them. She closed her eyes as his hands and mouth paid attention to every inch of her body until she cried out in ecstasy. When she came back to earth she decided it was her turn to be in control and flipped their positions so he was against the wall. She looked in his eyes as she dropped to her knees and watched as his mouth formed into an 'O' and his head rolled back as she took him into her mouth. She learned that it wasn't just when he was angry that he cursed, it was also when he came.

It wasn't long after that his need to be fully connected to her became too much. She cried out when he effortlessly lifted her up so her legs were around his waist, and slid inside her. It felt so good to be joined with him again, she knew she wouldn't last long. He braced one hand on the wall to give him leverage as he pounded into her. It was quick and it was desperate, as their need for one another overtook them. With one last thrust they fell over the cliff together, crying out each other's names, before slumping against the wall, panting in exhaustion. So caught up in each other were they that they hadn't noticed that the water was now running cold. Charles shut off the spray then helped Liza up. She was so spent that she didn't trust her legs to hold her weight.

As they stepped out of the shower, Charles gave her that smile – the one he reserved only for her. He handed her a towel and they caught their breaths as they dried off. He must have noticed that neither her brain nor her body were fully functioning anymore as he bent down, scooped her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. He laid her gently down on the bed before climbing in himself and pulling her into his arms. She regained enough consciousness to whisper "that was amazing" into his chest before closing her eyes.

"It was." Charles replied, kissing her tenderly on the forehead. "Goodnight Liza."


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Thank you soooo much for your comments - they always make me smile and truly make my day! You guys are great! I'm glad you liked the shower scene, and I agree they should definitely include one in the show!

So I'm at 95 reviews at the moment and I'd love to hit the 100 milestone with this chapter! If you've got any ideas for scenes you'd like to see included, let me know and I'll see what I can do :) Anyway, without any further ado, here's the next chapter...

CHARLES

Charles had never really been a fan of beards - even when he was younger he'd always opted for the fresh, clean-shaven look. With all of the stress and upheaval that he'd had to deal with lately though, when he went away with the girls, shaving just didn't sit high on his list of priorities. So he'd surprised his colleagues when he turned up to work yesterday with his new rugged appearance. He wouldn't be averse to growing another one however if it meant Liza would be the one to shave it off. Now that was an experience he'd be more than happy to relive - over and over again. He smiled as he remembered her biting her lip in concentration as she carefully ran the blade over his skin, and her look of surprise and amusement as he teasingly ran his hand up her thigh.

He looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms, her head resting on his chest in the same way it had done when he'd stayed over at hers on Christmas Eve, and he had to pinch himself to remind himself that this was real. For so long he'd dreamed of this, and it was hard to believe that it was now his reality. She was actually here with him in his bed - he could feel the warmth of her skin on his, the tickle of her breath on his chest, and the relaxing steady thud of her heartbeat against his side. She looked so serene when she slept - he could stare at her for hours and never tire of it.

Charles stretched slightly to relieve the stiffness in his legs, careful not to jolt Liza. He smiled as he reminisced about the reason his muscles were so deliciously sore. He wasn't a virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but it had been a long time since he'd been quite so passionate and unrestrained with a woman. He didn't know whether it was because it had been building for so long, or whether it would always be like this between them, but Liza brought out a side of him that had been dormant for a very long time. Making love to her in the shower hadn't been planned, but the look in her eyes after he kissed her made him need her - right then, right there. They'd stripped the clothes from each other's bodies hurriedly and clumsily, as if their lives depended on it. As they stumbled into the shower, he'd hungrily devoured her mouth as the spray beat down on their already flushed skin. He'd worshipped every inch of her body, wanting to bring her pleasure, and needing to hear her cry out his name in ecstasy. When she'd turned the tables on him, he'd seen stars and had to grab the wall to stop his legs from giving way from the extent of sensation. It was carnal and raw as he lifted her up and sank into her - the feeling of her around him almost too much to bear. He'd pounded into her with wild abandon until they erupted together, and then collapsed into an exhauseted, sated, tangle of limbs on the shower floor. He could say with full confidence that sex with Liza was the best of his life, without question.

He watched in adoration as her eyelids fluttered and she came back into consciousness, a small smile on her face as she looked up and caught his gaze.

"Good morning" she murmered, her voice thick with sleep.

Charles smiled, "Good morning".

Liza stretched and then groaned, "I don't think I can move. I think I'm gunna have to stay here today." She buried her head back in his chest and closed her eyes again.

Charles chuckled and brushed a stray tendril of hair out of her face. "I know the feeling", and he did - he was going to be stiff all day, but he didn't care because every ache reminded him of the amazing time they'd had together last night. "But as much as I'd love to stay in bed with you all day, I think people might notice if neither of us turned up to work today."

* * *

They eventually got up after lying together for a while and talking about anything and nothing - content just to 'be' with each other. They completed their morning routines in syncrony, almost as if they'd been doing it for years. When they'd showered and dressed, Liza made the coffee whilst Charles made them breakfast, and they chatted about their upcoming days - it all felt very domestic, and he loved it.

"So are we travelling in together this morning or..."

Ah - he hadn't thought about that. He'd been so caught up in how natural it felt to have her here in his home that he hadn't considered the logistics of getting to work. "That might raise a few eyebrows that we don't need raised just yet if we did." He smiled apologetically at her and ran his hands through his hair. "I want people to know about us, I just..."

Liza smiled in understanding and took his hands in hers. "I know, I get it - we need to wait for the right time."

Charles sighed, grateful that she understood but frustrated that he couldn't shout it from the rooftops that they were together. He kissed her on the head and stroked her cheek. "Thank you. I'll order two cars."

Liza arrived a few minutes before him and was talking to Diana outside her office when he walked in. He knew she saw him because a blush coloured her cheeks as he walked over to them. "Good morning Diana. Morning Liza." He caught her eye as he said her name and his voice changed subtley in pitch.

The look in her eyes was one of mischief and she tried to cover her smile. "Good morning Charles."

He excused himself and headed to his office, unable to remove the grin that had taken up residence on his face. He only had to wait about half an hour before he saw her again at the weekly staff staff meeting in the conference room. She gave him another mischievous look as she entered the room and took a seat three places down from him, next to Kelsey. He had to loosen his tie before he began speaking as he suddenly felt too hot.

"So does Millenial have anything new in the pipeline?" He turned his attention to Kelsey and Liza after reassuring everyone that the company would prevail, despite the financial hit due to the Moore situation, and discussing how Zane was getting on with Obama's old speech writer.

"Well Marriage Vacation is looking like it's going to be the success we'd hoped it would be. Initial sales are exceeding expectations and we're quietly confident it'll make the Times best seller list." Kelsey smiled proudly. "And Liza's been working some interesting angles with Hello Sunshine that are looking promising."

Liza blushed and Charles coughed at Kelsey's choice of phrasing, recalling the 'interesting angles' he and Liza had worked themselves into last night. "Right, erm...that sounds good - keep me updated."

* * *

Charles sighed as he stepped onto the elevator and pressed his fingers to his temple, trying to alleviate some of the tiredness. He'd been in meetings all afternoon and each one had overrun. The office was now deserted and he was the last to leave. He'd hoped to be able to catch Liza before she left, he'd thought they could go for dinner or drinks, but he'd texted her before the start of his last meeting to apologise and say she may as well head home because he didn't know when he'd finish, but that it would likely be late. As he stepped out into the crisp night air, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he smiled as he pulled it out, thinking it might be Liza. His smile dropped however when he saw the name that flashed up on screen. With a sigh of frustration he answered the call, "Pauline. Are the girls okay?"

"They're fine." was Pauline's curt response, "we need to talk"

"Yeah, we do." Speaking to Pauline was not on the list of things that he wanted to do tonight, but they did need to talk. He needed to make some things clear to her, and they needed to get some sort of stability sorted for the girls' sake. Even though all he wanted to do was go home and sleep, or better yet go to Liza's and fall asleep with her wrapped in his arms, he arranged to meet Pauline at her sister's house, in the hope that they could come to some sort of amicable arrangement.

It felt strange sitting in his ex-sister-in-law's lounge, and the frosty looks Pauline kept giving him were doing nothing to improve the atmosphere. "So what did you want to talk about Pauline?" Charles asked, getting impatient with her just glaring at him.

"Your assistant – really Charles? It's not very original"

Charles sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. His relationship with Liza was none of her business. "I thought we were here to talk about the divorce."

"But isn't she the reason we're even getting the divorce?"

Charles raised his eyebrows and just looked at her, not quite believing her audacity. "So Liza's the reason you left me for another man, moved to California, and didn't see me or the girls for over a year?" he asked incredulously, "because I didn't even know Liza back then."

"Maybe not. But we could have had a chance – we could have made it work."

"No, we couldn't. Neither of us were happy before you left, what makes you think we could have been happy after? You and I are responsible for our marriage ending - nobody else."

Pauline was still not giving up. "Well you found someone to replace me pretty quickly."

Charles clenched his jaw to stop himself from saying something he may later regret. "I'm not going to discuss Liza with you, but she and I are a very recent development. You left me – I'm not going to apologise for moving on." Pauline seemed quite surprised at his forcefulness, but he was done tiptoeing around her - especially after the stunt she pulled with Liza the other day. "And while we're on the topic, what you said to Liza the other day was out of order."

It was Pauline's turn to roll her eyes now. "Did she come running to you to tell you what I'd said?"

Charles was rapidly losing his patience. "No actually, she didn't – I had to drag it out of her. Like I said before – this divorce has nothing to do with her. Your issue is with me – not Liza, so I'd kindly ask you to leave her out of it."

Pauline was definitely not impressed with him sticking up for Liza, and he could feel this meeting going downhill fast. "Fine. So let's talk about the divorce. What are we going to do about Empirical?"

Charles frowned, not liking where she seemed to be taking this conversation. "What about Empirical?"

"How are we splitting it?"

"We're not." Charles clarified resolutely - there was no way she was getting her hands On Empirical. "That's my company – it's been in my family for generations."

"Well if you remember our vows, what's yours is mine – right?"

Charles looked at her incredulously. "That company was mine before we even got married, and if you remember the prenup you signed, you'll know that in the event of our marriage being dissolved, only assets amassed during the marriage are liable to be split." He'd been reticent to have a prenup originally, naïvely thinking he and Pauline would be together forever so they would never need it. But he was infinitely grateful to his father now for insisting upon it. Pauline looked annoyed, clearly hoping he'd have forgotten about that. "The houses, the cars, and any joint savings – they'll all be split. But Empirical is mine." There would be no movement on that.

Pauline wasn't happy, but she was smart enough to realise she wouldn't win that fight. "And what about the girls?"

"Nicole and Bianca are happy where they are – I'm not going to uproot them. Look, I don't want to fight with you Pauline. We need to be able to get on for their sakes...but you abandoned them for a year, without warning - you've got to know that no court in the country would give you full custody. They can stay living with me, and you can see them whenever you want. If you're staying in New York, we can work something out where they stay with you for a few days a week." His daughters and Empirical were the two things he wouldn't compromise on - anything else was just material and he wasn't bothered about.

"Well, you seem to have it all worked out" Pauline replied sarcastically.

"It's what's best for the girls."

There wasn't much more left to say so Charles excused himself, and Pauline didn't try and stop him. He doubted that would be the end of it, but for now they'd reached some sort of understanding and she knew she wouldn't be able to just walk all over him.

* * *

When he finally got back to his house it was nearly 1 AM. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten but he was too exhausted to make anything now. After tiredly stripping down to his boxers, he sank down onto his bed and picked up his phone, debating if it was too late to call Liza. He decided on a text as that probably wouldn't wake her up if she was sleeping. 'Hey, are you awake?X'

No more than a few seconds after he'd sent it, his phone started buzzing in his hand and Liza's name flashed up on the screen. He answered it on the first ring. "Hey" he sighed, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't, don't worry. I was reading - couldn't sleep. You okay?"

He was now. "Yeah...I just wanted to hear your voice."

He heard her little sigh of happiness and could sense her smiling on the other end of the line. "Me too."

They talked until their eyes grew heavy, and fell asleep to the sound of each other's breathing. If he couldn't sleep with her in his arms tonight, then this was the next best thing.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I've gone past the 100 review milestone - woohoo! Thank you all so much - you guys are the best! Shout out to my guest reviewer SE who has the honour of being the 100th reviewer! :) Thank you also for your suggestions about what you'd like to see included - I've roughly planned out the rest of the chapters and I've included a lot of those ideas, so watch this space ;)

Also, HAPPY YOUNGER DAY! This is the one we've been waiting for, and by all accounts #TeamCharles will be rejoicing! :D Frustratingly I'm not going to get to see it until Wednesday night due to being at work, so please no spoilers in the reviews! :) Because I'll be at work, I'm not going to get to post tomorrow unfortunately and the next chapter will be on Thursday - sorry! To make up for it though, this chapter is a little longer, and I'm pretty sure you'll all be busy on Wednesday anyway repeatedly re-watching the amazingness of e07! :)

P.S. If you're as obsessed with #TeamCharles as I am, you should join the #TeamCharles group on FB - it's horrendously addictive and a lot of fun!

Ok, so that was a long AN!...here's the next chapter :)

* * *

LIZA

Liza was only half listening to Kelsey as they walked together to the subway. Her mind kept drifting back to her late-night conversation with Charles. He seemed really stressed and she'd wanted to just go round there and hold him. He told her about his meeting with Pauline and she was touched that he stuck up for her, and for them. They'd talked and talked, until they couldn't form logical sentences anymore. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she'd woken up with her phone stuck to her face. The call was still connected and she could still hear Charles's soft breathing on the other end of the line.

"There's a guy I met at that event last night that I wanna set you up with - he's one of Jake's old friends from the White House. He'd be perfect for you."

Okay, now her attention was on Kelsey. How was she going to get out of this one? She decided to go with the truth. "erm thanks, but I'm kinda already in a thing with someone."

Kelsey quirked her eyebrow and looked at Liza, clearly waiting for her to elaborate. She was saved from having to answer though when Kelsey's phone rang. "Hold that thought."

Liza was granted a reprieve from Kelsey's questioning as it was Jake on the phone and she'd had to run off to help him with some sort of writer's block he was having, so Liza didn't see her for the rest of the day. She also unfortunately didn't see Charles all day either. Diana reliably informed her that he was meeting with lawyers. Liza wasn't sure whether it was to do with his divorce or with LL Moore, but she was fairly sure he'd be having a stressful time either way.

Charles had texted her whilst she was in the shower this morning asking if she'd like to go to dinner with him this evening, so she was comforted in the fact that she would be seeing him later. She felt for him lately as he clearly had a lot on his plate. She knew he was more stressed than he was letting on – the chivalrous side of him wanting to protect her. But she wanted to be there for him and hoped she could ease some of the pressure on him, rather than add to it. If handled incorrectly, their relationship coming to light could cause more problems for the company, and she didn't want that. But equally, she couldn't walk away from him, and neither did it seem could he walk away from her. It shouldn't have to be this complicated - they were two single (or practically single) people who loved each other - it should be that simple. The fact that he was her boss shouldn't matter. She realised that her lie about her age hadn't helped matters, but them being together still shouldn't be such a big issue. She had no idea what the best way to handle it was, but for now they were just taking it one day at a time.

* * *

Charles was picking her up at 7:30 PM so by the time she got home she had about an hour and a half to get ready. She didn't have Maggie there for fashion advice this time, but after emptying half her closet onto her bed, she settled on a belted cream shirt dress, coupled with her favourite heels. It was sophisticated but still sexy, and wasn't one of her 'I'm trying to look 27' outfits. She left her hair down in soft waves as she knew he liked it like that, and she'd just finished applying a touch of make-up when the buzzer rang. His soft "Hey, it's me" over the intercom made her smile and she buzzed him up.

"Wow! Liza, you look beautiful." His eyes widened as he appreciatively drank her in, and he leaned down to place a soft kiss on her cheek. She smiled shyly at his compliment, then her mouth went dry as she took in his appearance. Boy could he pull off a suit! She smiled when she saw he'd complemented his dark navy suit with the purple paisley tie she'd picked out for him. "Nice tie."

Charles grinned, "Yeah, the salesgirl who picked it out for me really got me." Liza returned his smile, remembering him saying the same line the first time she saw him wearing that tie. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

Liza took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. "I'm ready."

Liza smiled at Charles' choice of restaurant – the Carlisle. He placed his hand on the small of her back as the waiter guided them over to their table, then he held her chair out for her to sit down. She loved his old fashioned chivalry – it was refreshing and something she'd never had in her previous relationships.

As the waiter left them to peruse the menu, Charles clarified what she'd already guessed – but with his usual effortless charm and candour. "This is where we were going to meet to talk after I kissed you in New Jersey, but we didn't quite manage it that night. I thought coming here again would symbolise second chances and new beginnings. I was going to bring you here on Christmas Eve, but obviously I was a little late."

"I'd say you definitely made up for being late." She watched as Charles blushed and ducked his head. That was another thing she loved about him – he could be so confident and passionate, but then he was also shy and modest. She wandered what might have happened if Bob and Julia hadn't have been there that night and she and Charles had gotten to talk. Would they have kissed again? Would they have started something back then? She would never know but part of her was glad they didn't start something then, because if they had – before Charles knew the truth, he would have felt even more betrayed and she wasn't sure they'd have been able to come back from that. Even though she wasn't the one to tell him, she was glad he knew, because now that there weren't any secrets between them they had a real chance to make a go of this.

Conversation flowed easily between them, just as it always had done (except for when he was mad at her), as they sipped the wine Charles had chosen and assured her she'd love - he was right. She smiled as she watched the stress and tension leave his features, and loved that she was the cause of it. "You know this is our first proper date"

Charles smiled warmly at her. "It is. And in the spirit of first dates, I think we should get to know each other a little better."

Liza smiled back at him - she liked this idea. Ever the gentleman, he suggested she go first and she thought for a moment about what she'd like to ask. "You remember after the Crown of Kings launch in Times Square and we were in that bar? I asked you what you'd always wanted to do but couldn't because of your job - I never got to hear your answer." It was something she'd wandered on a number of occasions, and had it not been for Thad and his meddling, she'd have been able to hear his answer first time around.

Charles got a faraway look in his eyes as he seemingly reminisced about the night in question. "I remember you asking me that - you ran off before I had chance to answer. I never did get my coat back" he teased.

Liza blushed. She hadn't originally intended to hold onto his coat. She'd been so distracted by Thad being killed and all the drama that ensued as a result, that she just forgot to take it into work to give it back to him. And he'd never asked for it back. But then he'd kissed her at the Paramus Mall and she hadn't wanted to give it back, because it smelled like him - and as much as she was in denial about her feelings back then, it was nice having something that reminded her of him that she could pull out when she missed him. "Erm, yeah I've been meaning to get that back to you."

Charles just smiled good naturedly. "Keep it - it looks better on you anyway." If it was possible to physically melt, she'd be a big puddle of mush on the floor at his words. "So, in terms of what I would've done if I hadn't gone into publishing...it would probably have been something to do with baseball." This surprised Liza and wasn't at all what she was expecting. He did have the build of an athlete though. "I was actually pretty good in high school, even got offered a baseball scholarship from Yale. But I took the English Lit scholarship from Princeton instead."

"What made you choose choose literature over baseball?"

"My parents. They were always really supportive of me and never outright said I should go into publishing, but I know my father wanted me to join the family business and take over the company when he retired. I'm an only child so if I hadn't, my father would have had to sell the company when he retired and that would have been a real travesty. I don't regret my decision - I'm carrying on my grandfather's legacy, and as much as it stresses me out and I feel like giving it all up sometimes, I love Empirical and all that it's become."

"Wow"

"Yeah." Charles smiled and regarded her for a few moments. "But when you asked me the first time what I wanted to do but couldn't because of my job, do you want to know what the first thing that came into my head was?" Liza nodded. "You were sat there across from me wearing my coat after having had to parade around all day in that PamPam outfit, and you were genuinely so interested in hearing stories about me. You didn't have an agenda, you just wanted to know me. And I looked at you and I thought, I want to be with you - that's the thing I wanted to do that my job was holding me back from."

If Liza hadn't already fallen for him, she would have right then. She brushed her hand lightly against his on the table, hoping he would get how much that meant to her. "Thank you for telling me that." They just gazed at each other for a few moments before Liza asked, "So, your turn - what do you want to know?"

"I want to know everything. But for now, tell me something that people don't know about you."

Liza thought for a moment then decided to give him something big. He knew lots of little things about her, but with pretending to be in her twenties for the majority of time she'd known him, she'd had to leave out a lot of the big things. "I married David because I was pregnant with Caitlin. We'd been dating for about 6 months and we'd just finished college - a baby was the last thing on my mind. But I loved her as soon as I heard her little heartbeat on the sonogram - there was no way I could give her up. David proposed because he thought it was the right thing to do, and I was scared of being a single mom, so I said yes. If it wasn't for Caitlin I doubt we'd have ever gotten married. I did love him, and we grew comfortable, but we never had that awe inspiring, can't think straight kind of love you read about in novels - it was no Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice." I never felt for him what I feel for you, she added in her head but didn't voice. "Maggie's the only one who ever knew that – and now you."

"Well I appreciate you sharing that with me." He seemed genuinely happy that she was confiding in him, and she was glad that she could do this for him – after having to keep things from him for so long, it was nice to finally be able to share things about her past with him.

They talked continuously throughout dinner, not being able to get enough of the little stories and anecdotes about each other. They laughed, they shared each other's pain, and they got to know each other's worlds before they became a part of those worlds. After their dessert plates have been cleared and they were almost done with their coffees, Charles sighed and leaned forward in his seat. "Stay with me tonight" he breathed, the look in his eyes one of longing, "I missed falling asleep holding you last night." Liza knew that the girls would be coming home tomorrow so this would be the last chance she'd get to spend the night with him for a few days. She'd missed him too and she didn't want to waste this opportunity.

Liza leaned in towards him and whispered huskily, "Was falling asleep the only thing you missed?"

Charles raised his eyebrows, surprised at her forwardness, but his eyes sparkled with naughtiness and darkened with lust as his hand disappeared under the table. She felt it glide slowly up her thigh and her breath hitched in desire as his hand left a trail of fire in it's wake. "I missed a lot of things" he murmured softly.

She opened her mouth and was about to suggest they get the cheque so they could get out of there and he could finish what he started, but they were rudely interrupted by Redmond's high-pitched greeting "Charles...tall girl". She and Charles both shot back in their seats, startled like two naughty schoolchildren who'd been caught doing something they shouldn't by their teacher. Redmond looked between the two of them, regarding them curiously.

Liza smiled awkwardly at him. "Redmond – so nice to see you." It really wasn't – he had the worst timing in the world.

Redmond narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "So what brings you two here tonight?"

Liza glanced at Charles but he didn't seem to have a plausible excuse to hand. "Erm...we were supposed to be meeting an author but he cancelled last minute. We were already here and it seemed a shame to waste the reservation." That sounded believable, right? She glanced back at Charles and he seemed impressed that she'd managed to come up with anything.

Redmond looked between the two of them trying to figure out if he believed her or not. He shook his head in an 'I don't really care that much anyway' kind of way, then smiled whilst turning to the man stood behind him and ran his hand down his arm as he introduced him. "This is Lars, he's my date. Lars, this is Charles Brooks and tall girl"

"Hi" "Hi" both she and Charles awkwardly said in unison.

"Well, you two enjoy your...non-date. K byeee". And with that he sauntered off, Lars trailing behind him.

The carefree look that had been on Charles's face less than five minutes ago, was gone and in its place was one of stress and frustration.

"I don't think he knows anything." Liza tried to reassure him.

"But he suspects something."

"Even if he does, it's just Redmond. And besides, he'll probably be too preoccupied with his new boy toy to care about us."

"Maybe. But he's LL Moore's agent."

Liza frowned in confusion, unsure why that was important. "What does that have to do with anything?"

When Charles looked at her, she knew there was more to this and that there was something he hadn't told her. "Moore knows about you - he was the one who told me."

Liza's eyes widened in shock. Okay, that was the last thing she was expecting him to say. "Moore told you about me? How did he know?"

Charles sighed, "It would seem he decided to dig up dirt on all the women who made accusations against him, and he took great pleasure in showing me what he found on you." His tone was one of frustration and disgust and he clearly hated the man as much as she did.

Liza's brain was going into overdrive trying to compute this. "What did he say?"

Charles looked apologetic as he explained, "He gave me a bunch of documents – birth certificate, marriage and divorce certificates, and a few other things. He said you were a fraud and couldn't be trusted."

That perverted old bastard! As if he hadn't done enough damage - now he wanted to ruin her as well. What was more upsetting though was that Charles had just accepted the word of a known liar and philanderer without even speaking to her. "And you just believed him? Why didn't you ask me about it?"

Charles looked down at the table then back up at her and she could see the regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry Liza - I should have given you the chance to explain much sooner. I didn't want to believe him but I had the facts there in black-and-white and I didn't know what to think anymore."

She got that it was a big shock for him and he was hurt that she lied, but she was hurt that it was Moore of all people that had been the one to tell him, and he'd thought the worst of her. "I wish you'd just come to me though. We could have saved ourselves a lot of heartache if you had"

"I know" Charles sighed, "and if I could go back and change it, I would."

She believed him, and she believed that he was sorry. But there was one thing she needed to know. "Do you trust me now?" Because if he didn't then this was never going to work.

"Yes Liza, I do", he was emphatic with his response. "I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't"

He seemed so sincere and she wanted to believe him, she really did.

* * *

The cab ride back to Charles's house was spent in silence, but unlike the usual comfortable silence they shared, this one was a tense silence. She'd considered asking Charles to just drop her home, but she knew she'd just end up missing him. And even if things were a bit awkward right now, she still wanted to be near him.

Charles looked at her with concern as he led her into his bedroom and closed the door behind them. He took her hand and forced her to look at him. "Liza, I love you - you know that, right?". His voice was raw with emotion. That was only the second time she'd heard him say that, and just like it had the first time, it sent a shiver down the spine and a rush of warmth to her heart. She knew she would never tire of hearing that.

She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. "I love you too."

Charles kissed her lovingly on the forehead before heading to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Whilst he was in there she took off her dress and put on one of his T-shirts that she found, before climbing under the covers. She was still thinking about their conversation at dinner, so when she heard him coming back into the room she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She wanted him, more than anything or anyone she'd wanted in a very long time, but she needed him to trust her. She felt him climb into bed and he gently pulled her into his arms, his arm around her waist as he spooned her from behind. He didn't try and take it any further, he just held her – and that's what she needed right now. He placed a tender kiss on the back of her neck before whispering softly, "I do trust you – please don't question that."

Liza smiled in the darkness - he knew her well. She rolled over so her head was on his chest – her favourite place, and kissed him just above where his heart lay. She believed him, and she believed in them.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Okay so I'm still buzzing from the sheer awesomeness of e07! I can't get over how amazing and beautiful their scenes were - I won't be coming down from this high anytime soon! From the looks of the promo and photos from e08, we're going to have even more to smile about next week too!

Thank you as always for your amazing feedback, both regular reviewers and first timers - it gives me the kick I need to get writing even though I'm massively sleep deprived! Shout out to Ashley and also the newer members of the #TeamCharles group :)

A guest reviewer asked what the group on Facebook is called - it's just called #TeamCharles and if you type that into the search bar it should be the one at the top.

Someone else asked how many more chapters there will be in this story. I've planned the rest of the chapters out and at the moment I'm anticipating there to be 26 in total, unless I decide to split any of them or a new promo gives me inspiration to include something else :)

The next chapter after this one will be up on Saturday as I'm having to do an extra shift tomorrow. For most of the remaining chapters though I should be able to do daily postings.

Anyway, here's Chapter 19 :)

CHARLES

It was coming towards the end of January now and Charles was getting used to his new normal. He and Liza had been 'dating' for a month now and they'd slipped easily into a routine. On the days that Pauline had the girls, Liza would stay over at his house, or he'd stay over at hers - but they would always spend the night together. On nights when they weren't together, he longed to be near her, but they'd gotten into the habit of calling each other when they were in bed and talking to each other until they fell asleep. It was a normal he'd instantly loved. The only improvement would be being able to be with her every night. That would come - but for now, he could say with confidence that he was happy.

As always lately, he walked into the office with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. His colleagues had noticed the subtle change in his demeanour and he'd received more than a couple of curious looks when he'd greeted them heartily on his way into work. For now though, it was just him and Liza who knew the reason for his newfound happiness. Just like they did every morning, his eyes sought her out and their gazes locked as he made his way over to her and Diana. He caught some of what Diana was saying, about picking up her dress from the dry-cleaners and calling the venue to ensure they were aware of her allergies. Ah, the annual New York publishers party - that was tonight. He'd known about it for a while, he'd just forgotten it was tonight.

"So are you taking a date tonight?" Diana asked Liza just as he reached them. "You've been less boy crazy recently so I wasn't sure if you were taking anyone."

Liza blushed and looked embarrassed as she caught his eye. "I erm..."

"Oh, good morning Charles" Diana greeted him, then looked back at Liza expectantly.

"No date for me - I'll be going alone." She smiled awkwardly as she looked between him and Diana.

"Well it's admirable that you're focussing on your career instead of chasing boys."

Liza looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there and he had to clench his jaw to stop himself from smiling at her expression.

"And what about you Charles - is there a lucky lady you'll be taking with you tonight?" It was his turn to stutter because in answer to her question, yes there was a lady who he'd love to take as his date, and let the world know that she was with him, but he couldn't do that tonight. "I'll be going alone too."

"Well you could always go together" Diana joked. Charles stifled a cough and watched as Liza's face turned an adorable shade of crimson.

When Diana left and went into her office, Charles leaned in almost imperceptibly and whispered, "One day we will". They smiled their secret smile and their fingers brushed in a feather-light caress as they moved past each other.

* * *

Charles had been to these publishing parties numerous times in previous years. He wasn't really one for parties and he'd usually find them pretty tedious. He'd show his face, make the obligatory small talk and hand out a few business cards, before sneaking away as soon as was socially acceptable. The only reason this year's party held any appeal was that Liza would be there and he'd get to spend some time with her, on a night he wouldn't otherwise have seen her.

He'd chosen his favourite black tux to wear tonight. Liza had commented that she liked him in black, so he'd picked this one out with her in mind. He'd found himself doing that a lot lately - choosing outfits he thought she'd like and taking more time with his appearance. He definitely had it bad!

When he got to the party he scanned the room but didn't see anyone he knew particularly well, or anyone important enough he felt the need to network with, so he headed to the bar and ordered himself a drink. He felt her presence before he saw her, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up telling him it was her before she greeted him with a soft "hey".

He turned and stood up from his seat, his breath catching as he saw her. He'd always thought she was beautiful, but lately each time he saw her she'd taken his breath away more and more. She was wearing a long pale pink dress as she stood there smiling up at him. "Liza...you look stunning." And she did - he felt like the luckiest man alive to be with her, even if it was in secret.

Liza blushed and returned his sentiment. "So do you." He wanted to kiss her - he wanted to kiss her so badly the restraint was painful. He settled for interlacing his fingers with hers, hidden by the bar as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

Their moment was interrupted however by Kelsey calling Liza's name. He jumped slightly, startled by the intrusion and Liza dropped his hand as if she'd been burned. He sighed in disappointment at her reaction - he knew why she'd done it, and he knew they'd agreed to this arrangement, but it was getting harder and harder to hide how he felt.

"Hey Charles - nice tux" Kelsey greeted him, "Liza, we need to network." She held her hand out to Liza and then pulled her away from him and into the main room. Liza gave him an apologetic smile over her shoulder before she was was out of sight. He watched as they worked the room, Liza effortlessly charming everyone she spoke to - she really was good at her job. He was less happy when he noticed other men, on numerous occasions, giving her admiring looks and attempting to get close to her. To her credit she brushed them all off, but this was another thing he wouldn't have to deal with if their relationship was out in the open - because everyone would know that she was with him, and men would know that she was off limits.

He chatted for a while to an old friend from Princeton who now worked at Penguin, which distracted him somewhat, then got another drink and went out onto the balcony. He leaned on the railing and looked out over the skyline of the city that had been his home for all of his life, all lit up in the darkness. It really did look pretty magical from up here. He knew he was probably being a bit selfish, wanting all her attention all the time. But he couldn't help it - it was an intrinsic need he had to be near her, much like the need for air or water. As if she'd realised he was thinking about her, she appeared at his side, her shoulder brushing his lightly.

"Hey, you okay? I've been looking for you."

"I'm okay."

Liza raised an eyebrow and gave him a small smile. "Are you sure you're okay?". He smiled back at her - she knew him well.

"I'm just thinking"

"Penny for them?"

Charles sighed and took one of her hands in his. "I just wish I could hold your hand in public. I wish I could kiss you. And I wish I could introduce you to people not just as one of my editors, but also as my partner. I hate having to pretend."

Liza squeezed his hand. "I know. I want that too Charles - really I do. But I don't want to cause you or the company anymore problems. I know there's more going on with Empirical than you've let on, and I know it's stressing you out. I want to help, if you'll let me."

"You do help. Just by being you, by being here with me, you help." And he meant it – she was the best stress relief he'd ever known. He only had to be near her and he felt better.

Liza smiled, "so how bad are the finances?"

Charles puffed out a frustrated breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "They're pretty bad. I mean, were managing to tread water at the moment, but we can't carry on like this indefinitely. We'll survive – I won't let the company go under, but we may need to find an investor." He could see the sympathy in her eyes and he didn't want to burden her with this. He knew she had a big heart and that she cared a lot about Empirical, and him, but he didn't want her to worry. "But I don't want that to affect us" he implored her, "we'll find a way to make it work – with Empirical, and with us."

Liza opened her mouth to reply, but they were once again interrupted by Kelsey.

"Liza, Vulture want some pictures."

Liza let go of his hand, less abruptly than before, but it still irked him having to hide. He knew she caught his look of disappointment so he smiled, trying to reassure her. "It's okay, go on."

* * *

Charles didn't get much chance to speak to her again for the rest of the party as Kelsey kept her busy with photo ops and networking. He couldn't really be annoyed though – they were both working hard, and any exposure and leads that Millennial got would be good for the company.

The party had died down, and most people had left as he stood outside and got some fresh air, waiting for his car. Liza and Kelsey came out shortly after and she came over to him whilst Kelsey was trying to order an Uber on her phone.

"You worked hard tonight" Charles smiled at her, letting her know that he wasn't annoyed that they didn't get to spend much time together.

"Yeah, my feet are killing me though! Remind me not to wear these shoes again to one of these events!"

"Well, make sure those piggies get some good rest when you get home."

Liza looked at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "You've said that to me before, but I never knew what you were talking about."

Charles chuckled, "Nevermind". She laughed at his seeming randomness, and he so badly wanted to kiss her. "You really do look stunning tonight Liza."

She smiled warmly at him, "Thank you".

"Liza, our cab's here - come on!" Kelsey yelled from across the street.

Charles wasn't Kelsey's biggest fan tonight - that was the third time she'd interrupted him and Liza. Liza looked over at Kelsey then back up at him. "I should go" she said apologetically, "I'll see you tomorrow".

He gave her a small smile and nod of understanding, and watched as she walked over to the cab that Kelsey was already climbing into. She paused though with her hand on the door, and instead of following Kelsey inside, she turned back around towards him. It was like he was watching in slow motion as she slammed the cab door shut and jogged back over to him. "Liza, what-?"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because she placed her hands on the sides of his face and pulled him down into a searing kiss. He was too stunned to compute what was happening, but he'd been longing to kiss her all day and now that he finally was, that was all that mattered.

She smiled proudly up at him when they broke for air. "It's not gonna be easy."

He beamed at her, truly appreciating the commitment she just shown by doing that. God, he loved this woman. "Nothing worth having is easy."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Thank you so much for your comments - they really make my day! I'm glad you enjoyed ch19 and the 'nothing worth having is easy' :)

So here's ch20 - If you've seen the e08 promo photos that were released, hopefully you'll like the scene I've included from them :)

* * *

LIZA

Wnen Liza was walking back to the cab, she knew she was in for a grilling. The pissed off look on Kelsey's face as she sat down and closed the door confirmed she was not impressed with what she had just seen.

"I can only keep so many of your secrets Liza!" Kelsey glared at her, "So when you said you were already in a thing with someone, you were talking about Charles?!"

"Yeah". There was no point beating around the bush, and to be fair she had tried to tell Kelsey. It wasn't her fault Kelsey's phone had rung and she'd run off to meet Jake.

"I can't believe this." Kelsey sighed and shook her head in disbelief. "At Pound Ridge, were you lying when you said you weren't sleeping with him? Have you been sleeping with him this whole time?"

"No, and no" Liza assured her emphatically.

"But you are sleeping with him." This was more of a statement than a question.

Liza sighed, "yes, but that's a very recent development. It didn't happen until after he found out about me, and after he announced his divorce."

Kelsey raised her eyebrows, "are you the reason they're getting divorced?"

"No, I'm not!" Liza snapped. She was sick of people accusing her of that – first Pauline, and now Kelsey. "Their marriage ending has nothing to do with me!"

"I...can't get my head around this." Kelsey closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as they pulled up outside of her apartment. "I've had way too many glasses of champagne to be able to deal with this right now. I'll see you at work." And with that she slammed the cab door and headed inside her apartment without another word, leaving Liza staring after her. That could have gone better, but at least she didn't react as badly as when she'd found out about Liza's age. She hoped Kelsey would come around once she'd gotten over the shock.

* * *

When Liza walked into the office the next morning she saw Charles over by the coffee machine. He hadn't seen her yet so she crept up on him and announced her presence by brushing her hand against his, in a not so subtle pretence of reaching for a mug. "Hey".

His sharp intake of breath told her he'd felt it too - that jolt of electricity when their skin touched. "Hey" he breathed, a beautiful smile overtaking his face. "I was just thinking about you."

Liza felt her insides flutter and she couldn't help the goofy grin that took up residence on her face. "Good thoughts I hope?"

"Always good thoughts" Charles brushed his pinky finger against her hand that was resting on the counter and that small contact set all of her nerve endings alight. "I actually wanted to ask you if you'd like to go out with me this evening? There's somewhere I wanted to take you."

Liza was pretty sure that right then he could have suggested they go shark diving and she would have said yes, if it meant she got to spend time with him. "I'd like that."

"Great". They stood smiling shyly at each other as they took their time making their coffees.

Kelsey clearing her throat behind them broke her out of her trance, and Liza turned to see her quirking an eyebrow at them. "I'll just wait til you're done."

"I'm done." Charles gave Kelsey an awkward smile, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I'll leave you two to it. Kelsey." He nodded at Kelsey before quickly retreating to his office.

"I don't know how I didn't see this before - you two are so obvious!" Liza made a mental note to try and be more subtle when they were in the office.

"You're still mad at me then?"

"Liza, I'm not mad - I'm just in disbelief. I thought you were smarter than this. You're good at your job - you don't need to sleep with the boss to get ahead."

Liza sighed in frustration and grabbed Kelsey's arm, pulling her away from the coffee machine and towards her office. She couldn't have jumped to a conclusion further from the truth if she'd tried. "Okay - we're not doing this here."

Once they were safely inside the walls of Kelsey's office, Liza shut the door behind them. Kelsey gave her a look of impatience, annoyed at being deprived of her morning coffee as she was clearly hungover. She crossed her arms and leant against her desk, waiting for Liza to explain.

Liza exhaled, wandering where to begin. "I'm not sleeping with him for any kind of career perks. I can't believe you'd actually think that of me! I'm sleeping with him because...because I love him."

Kelsey's eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped slightly. "You love him?"

Liza gave her a small smile - this was an easy question to answer. "I do. I have done for a long time."

Kelsey frowned. "I thought you said this was a recent development?"

"It is - we only got together on Christmas Eve. But I've had feelings for him for a lot longer, and they just got stronger and stronger until I couldn't ignore them anymore."

Kelsey sat down on her desk, looking stunned. "Wow. And he feels the same?"

Liza smiled, remembering the look of wonder in his eyes when he told her he loved her. "Yeah, he does."

"And he's over the fact that you lied about your age?"

"Well he was hurt to begin with - really hurt, and angry. But he understands why I did it now, and we're focussing on the future rather than the past."

Kelsey regarded her curiously for a few moments, then a small smile appeared on her face. "You really do love him don't you?"

Liza smiled, sensing that Kelsey finally understood. "I really do."

"Well, I'm happy that you're happy" Kelsey smiled back and squeezed her arm. "You do know there's gunna be a shit storm when people find out though don't you?"

Liza chuckled, "Oh, I know."

* * *

Charles had texted her during the day to ask her to meet him straight after work at 6 PM in the lobby, and to assure her that she wouldn't need to change. Apparently they were going straight to wherever he was taking her. At 5 PM she began clock watching, anxious for the last hour to pass so she could see Charles. The hands seemed to tease her though as the minutes ticked by in an achingly slow fashion. Diana was out and she'd ticked off everything on her to-do list, so she was restless and wanted to find out what Charles had planned for them tonight. She doubted they were going to a restaurant as she was dressed a little too casually for that, and he'd said she didn't need to change. He'd had an excited, boyish grin on his face when he'd asked her so she had a feeling she'd be pleasantly surprised.

When 5:45 PM rolled around, she gave up clock watching and went to the bathroom to freshen up. She fixed her hair and touched up her makeup, then grabbed her things and headed down to the lobby. She had a few minutes to spare but she couldn't think of anything else to do to kill the time. She smiled as at exactly 6 PM the elevator door dinged and Charles strolled out, a smile tugging at his lips when he saw her.

"Hey" he greeted her warmly, "are you ready to go?"

"Lead the way."

Charles came round to open her door when the car came to a stop, and she stepped out and looked around at their location. She frowned in confusion when she saw that they were outside Battery Park. Charles smirked at her perplexed look and held his arm out to her.

"Come on."

Liza smiled and linked her arm through his. As he led her through the park they talked about their days and shared anecdotes about what their daughters had been getting up to recently. Liza revelled in the beautiful simplicity of the moment – walking through the park, under a starlit sky, with the man she loved. She didn't actually care what Charles had planned because this was enough, just being with him like this was enough.

"Okay, hold on". Charles came to stand in front of her, and he had the same boyish grin on his face as he'd had that morning. His enthusiasm was infectious and she couldn't help but return his smile. "Close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?"

Charles laughed, presumably at the confused look on her face. "Trust me".

When he was looking at her like that, she couldn't deny him anything. So, with an amused shake of her head, she closed her eyes.

Charles leaned in and murmured in her ear, "don't open them until I say, okay? "

A tingle went down her spine at the feel of his warm breath in her ear. "Okay".

Charles took her hand and led her slowly forward, reassuring her that he would not let her fall. They came to a stop after about a minute and she felt Charles move slightly in front of her but kept a hold of her hand. "You can open your eyes now".

Liza opened her eyes and a huge grin lit up her face when she saw what was in front of them. Charles never failed to surprise her. "You brought me to the SeaGlass carousel!"

Charles smiled shyly at her and looked less confident than he had done previously. "I don't know if you've been before, but I brought the girls a few months ago and they loved it. For some reason, when I was here before, I imagined bringing you here – I thought you might like it. I know it's silly but -"

"No, not at all – I love it! And I've never been before, so this will be my first time" She reached up and cupped his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. He was incredibly sweet and thoughtful, and she really appreciated the gesture.

Charles's face lit up, happy that she liked his surprise. "Are you ready to take a ride?"

"I am"

They giggled as they jogged hand-in-hand over to the entrance. Liza couldn't stop smiling as they took their seats in adjacent glass fish. It really did look magical all lit up in the darkness. She laughed as the ride started and their fish started to move. "This is so cool!"

Charles grinned at her enthusiasm and she didn't think she'd ever seen him smile quite so much. Whenever their fish where within touching distance, he would reach across and hold her hand. On one occasion when his fish was close enough to hers, he leaned out and brought her hand up to his mouth and placed a kiss on her knuckles. Her heart literally skipped a beat and she was so giddy with happiness by the time the ride came to a stop that they ended up having two more rides. When they eventually got off, Liza felt so carefree and they laughed together, holding hands as they left the carousel.

On impulse, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a tender kiss. "Thank you Charles, that was so much fun."

Charles beamed at her. "You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

It was a little chilly out so they bought hot chocolates from a vendor in the park and then huddled together on a bench. It was a relatively clear night so they could see the stars lighting up the sky. As they sipped from their Styrofoam cups, he wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder as he told her a story about how his grandfather would always bring him here when he was a boy. She'd loved their date at the Carlisle, with the dressing up and the fancy food, but she loved this just as much. It was simple, it was romantic, and it was perfect.

He put his cup down and turned slightly so he could see her better. "I wanted to ask you something." He looked nervous, as if he were scared she might say no. She smiled in encouragement for him to continue. "Will you -" he paused and in that split second, Liza imagined hearing the words 'marry me' come out of his mouth next. She had no idea where that thought came from and she mentally berated herself at the absurdity of her thoughts – it was clearly too soon for that. Nevertheless, she felt a pang of disappointment when those weren't the words that followed. "Will you come over for dinner at my house on Saturday?"

"erm, sure. Of course I will" she replied, unsure why he would be nervous to ask her that. "Oh, don't you have the girls this weekend?"

"Yeah, I do. I erm, I wanted you to meet them. I know you've already met them, but I wanted to introduce you to them...as my partner."

Liza realised why he was nervous now and her heart melted – he wanted to fully include her in his life and meet the two most precious people to him. She felt her eyes welling up as she said, "I would love that". Even though she was a bit worried about Nicole and Bianca's reactions to her dating their dad, she knew how much Charles loved them and that this was a huge gesture. She reached up and kissed him deeply, wanting him to know how much this meant to her.

"I love you" she breathed. She hadn't planned say it, but it just felt so natural in that moment.

His joy at her words was palpable and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, as if he never wanted to let her go. He sighed and murmured in her ear, "I love you too - more than you know."


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Thank you as always for your wonderful comments - they truly make my day :) I'm glad you liked their date - it looked too cute in the promo pics not to include it here! So this chapter has a pivotal moment for them moving forward - hope you enjoy :)

* * *

CHARLES

It was Friday afternoon and Charles was still on a high from his date to Battery Park with Liza last night. They'd sat in the park cuddled up on the bench for about two hours, talking and laughing - not able to get enough of hearing little stories about each other. When the temperature started to drop they'd walked hand in hand back to their cab and headed back to Charles's house. He didn't ask her if she'd stay over, it just seemed to be an unspoken agreement that they'd spend the night together as he had the house to himself. He wasn't sure if she'd done it consciously or unconsciously, but over the last month she'd left bits and pieces of her things at his house, and he now had a drawer in his dresser that he'd cleared out and now held a few items of her clothing, a hairbrush and some toiletries. He'd even taken note of the shampoo brand she used and picked up a bottle when he went grocery shopping so that she'd feel at home when she stayed over. The smile on her face, and the tender kiss she placed on his cheek, when she saw it in his bathroom told him she appreciated the gesture.

When they'd got back to his house, the air around them had been electric and as soon as the front door had closed behind them, their mouthes met, tongues collided and coats were discarded as he pressed her against the wall and reaquainted himself with the feel of her body. Their need for each other was desperate as they fumbled with clothing, without breaking the kiss. They'd tripped on the first step and started giggling as he'd fell on top of her. He remedied the situation by scooping her up in his arms, eliciting a suprised squeal from Liza, and carried her the rest of the way up the stairs and into his bedroom. It wasn't long before the rest of their clothes were forgotten and the world around them was forgotten as they lost themselves in each other once more. They'd made love to each other all through the night, until they collapsed into a satiated tangle of limbs and fell asleep in each other's arms.

They'd both had huge grins on their faces during the morning meeting, and he'd had to really try hard to concentrate on what everyone else was saying and not stare at her. His concentration skills and restraint had been further tested when he and Liza had had a conference call with their rockstar author. It had started out with them holding hands under the table, like teenagers in school, but when her leg had accidentally brushed against his, all the blood in his body had rushed south. Liza had expertly handled the rest of the call, as his ability to form logoical thoughts was severely impaired. She looked amused at his flustered expression and he guessed it was true what they say about women being better at multi-tasking.

Liza had found excuses to swing by his office a couple of times during the afternoon and they'd had a few precious moments together. He smiled as he thought of how much he always looked forward to their next interaction.

It wa 3 PM now and he was leaving early to pick the girls up from school. He wanted to spend some time with them tonight so he could talk to them about Liza. He was a little nervous - he knew they liked Liza, but he wasn't sure how they'd handle the idea of another woman in his life. They were excited to see him as he rarely finished work early enough to pick them up. They were even more excited when he told them he was taking them to their favourite icecream parlour. He watched happily as they tucked into their desserts and marvelled at how they managed to pack so much away into such small bodies. He listened and laughed at their childish enthusiasm as they animatedly told him about their days, and smiled proudly as he thought about how amazing his two little girls had turned out.

As the girls took a breather between their icecreams and their milkshakes, Charles considered the best way to approach the topic. "So, you know how Mommy and Daddy haven't been together for a while?" he began.

Nicole nodded, "Mmmhmm - Mommy left and now you're getting divorced." He had to hand it to his eldest daughter - she was nothing if not to the point.

"And how do you feel about that?" he asked tentatively. He really hoped they weren't holding out for him and Pauline to get back together.

Nicole and Bianca looked at each other then Bianca spoke for them both. "It's okay - it was strange at first Mommy not living with us, but we're kinda used to it now."

"And you seem happier now Daddy, and we like that" Nicole added.

"Yeah, you smile a lot now" Bianca chimed in.

Charles smiled - his daughters were more observant than he thought. "I am happy. And Mommy's happy too. And even though we're living in separate houses, we still love you so much - and you'll still get to see us both all the time." The girls nodded and it seemed like they understood. Now was the trickier bit to explain. "How would you feel if I told you that the reason I've been happier lately is because I've been spending time with another lady?"

Nicole looked alarmed and Bianca's face fell. Charles's heart sank at their reactions – maybe they weren't ready for this. "Is it that Rahda lady?" Bianca asked. Charles sighed in relief - maybe it wasn't that they were averse to the idea of him being with someone else, just that they were particular about who it was.

"No. It's definitely not her" he assured them.

Their collective sigh of relief was almost comical. "Good, because I don't think she really liked us" Nicole replied.

"Yeah, she was mean" Bianca added. Looking back, Charles didn't really know why he'd got together with Rahda in the first place. He'd never had any real feelings for her and she never seemed to gel with the girls – not like Liza had. He reasoned it was a misguided attempt to get over his feelings for Liza, but he should have realised that was never going to work.

"It's not her – don't worry. So, you wouldn't have a problem with me being with someone else?" He waited with bated breath for their answer.

"As long as she's nice" Nicole replied, smiling at him. Charles smiled back – sometimes she seemed so wise and mature for her age.

"Yeah, and she has to like playing with us too" Bianca chipped in. Charles chuckled – everything should be as simple as it is through the eyes of a child.

"So, someone nice and who likes playing with you?" He was pretty sure Liza ticked those boxes.

"Yeah - like Liza"

"Yeah, Liza's really fun to play with."

Charles blinked in surprise, not having expected them to make suggestions. "You girls really like Liza don't you?"

The girls nodded. "She's really funny, and she makes the best cookies" Bianca informed him.

"What about if it was Liza?" Charles asked tentatively, "what if I told you that she was the one that I've been spending time with?"

Nicole and Bianca contemplated this and regarded him curiously. They looked at each other and seemed to engage in their sister telepathy before looking back up at him.

"Would she be your girlfriend?" Bianca asked.

"She would be, yes" Charles watched them as they took in this information, waiting to see what their verdict would be.

"What would we call her?" Nicole asked. She was older so she was thinking more about the dynamics and the concept of stepparents.

Charles smiled at them and spoke softly as he explained. "You'd just call her Liza, just like you always have done. And she'd still do all the fun things with you that she did before - she'd still play games with you, make cookies, and read you stories. So what do you think?" He'd spoken to Liza about this and she didn't want the girls to feel like she was trying to replace their mother, but she wanted to be involved with them and for the girls to know that she'd be there for them if they wanted her to be.

After some more sister telepathy, they looked at him and smiled. "We think it's a good idea" Bianca declared.

Charles breathed a sigh of relief. "You do?"

"Yeah, we want you to be happy Daddy" Nicole added.

He smiled in gratitude at his amazing, empathetic daughters and reached across the table and took one of each of their hands in his. "Thank you."

"Can we have some more icecream?"

Charles laughed – it was going to be okay. He had the approval of the only two people whose opinions mattered to him.

* * *

When Saturday rolled around, Charles was a little less nervous now that he'd spoken to the girls and they seemed okay. He'd cooked for the four of them – he'd asked Liza what she'd like, but she'd just said that she would be happy with anything and to make something that the girls would like. He was pretty sure she was nervous about coming over today, even though he'd told her about his conversation with the girls. It meant a lot to him though that she valued his daughters opinions and wanted them to be happy.

She texted him to say that she was on her way over, and when the doorbell rang he didn't have chance to answer it before the girls sprinted over and flung the door open. Liza looked a little startled but quickly recovered and smiled widely at the girls. "Hey Nicole, Bianca. Wow, you girls have grown so big since I last saw you!"

The girls beamed up at her, clearly liking Liza's comment that they'd grown. "Can I take your coat?" Nicole asked her.

Charles raised an eyebrow in surprise – they were never this courteous with guests.

"Thank you Nicole, that's very kind of you" Liza replied as she shrugged off her coat and handed it to Nicole.

"I wanna take it" Bianca whined, nudging her sister.

Oh, this could turn into an argument. Charles needn't have worried though because Liza effortlessly diffused the situation. "Oh, well why don't you take my scarf?" she appeased Bianca, smiling at her as she handed her the scarf.

Bianca was happy with this compromise and smiled at Liza before both girls ran off to the cloakroom with Liza's things.

Charles chose this moment to approach her. "Hey" he smiled, greeting her warmly.

"Hey" she breathed, returning his smile.

He placed his hand on her hip and leaned down, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. "They like you."

Liza beamed at the compliment. "Well I like them too."

As the girls came stampeding back over to them, Liza turned her attention solely on them and he smiled seeing the natural motherly instinct in her.

"Liza, do you want to play Polly Pocket with us before dinner?" Bianca asked.

"Of course I do - I love Polly Pocket!" Liza replied enthusiastically.

"Cool! Daddy tries to play but his fingers are too big."

Charles grinned as the girls grabbed Liza's hands and pulled her up the stairs to their playroom, chattering animatedly all the way. Liza looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, letting him know that she was fine. He checked on dinner and gave them about 10 minutes before he quietly crept up the stairs to check on them, wanting to make sure the girls weren't terrorising Liza.

He peaked round the playroom door unnoticed, and the scene he was met with melted his heart. The three of them were sat on the floor, Polly Pockets scattered all around them. Liza was putting on silly voices as she picked up various characters and the girls were giggling, totally enraptured by her. He was about to turn and go back downstairs, wanting to give them their time together, when Bianca asked a question.

"So are you Daddy's girlfriend now?"

Liza was caught a little offguard. "erm, yeah - I guess I am."

"Do you love him?" Nicole asked, causing Bianca to giggle.

"I do – very much." Charles smiled – he would never tire of hearing that.

"Good" Nicole replied. It was a simple as that for her – all she needed to know was that Liza loved him. And with that, they went back to playing Polly Pocket.

Charles felt like he would burst with happiness as he made his way back downstairs, listening to the giggles of the three most important people in his life. This was it for him – this was all he would ever want.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Thank you for your lovely comments on the last chapter - I'm glad you enjoyed Liza being introduced to the girls as Charles' girlfriend :)

So this chapter is totally indulgent and inspired by the amazing promos for e08 ;) Thank you to BenoightLangson for the idea - hopefully this is along the lines of what you had in mind!

The next chapter will be up on Wednesday...but I'm sure you'll have plenty to occupy yourselves with on Tuesday! So, Happy Younger Day for tomorrow - I'm sure we're going to enjoy this episode! But in the meantime, enjoy this little taster of what we have to look forward to ;) ...needless to say it's a little on the M rated side!

* * *

LIZA

Liza sang along to the radio as she made breakfast and got ready for work. She wasn't usually this energetic in the mornings, but the permanant smile that had taken up residence on her face, or more precisely - the reason behind it, may have had something to do with it. Her weekend had been amazing - Saturday she'd spent with Charles and the girls, which had exceded all expectations. Sunday had been spent curled up on the couch with Maggie watching old movies and eating icecream, and although she didn't see Charles, they'd spoken on the phone for hours when they were in bed, and as had become a habit recently, they'd fallen asleep to the sound of each others voices on the end of the line.

Her smile widened as she thought back to her evening with Charles and the girls. She'd been pretty nervous about going over and 'meeting' the girls, even though they'd met before on numerous occasions - this was different though. Liza had tried to seem confident when she'd spoken to Charles about it but he knew her too well and had seen right through her. He'd repeatedly reassured her that it would be fine and told her how fond they already were of her. She'd found it funny when Charles told her about how the girls had suggested her as a potential girlfriend for him when he'd asked them how they'd feel about him being with someone else. It had made her feel much better, but she still had a rush of nerves when she stood on his step and rang the bell.

She didn't have time to dwell on it because less than a second later the door flung open to reveal two excited little girls smiling up at her. She was a little startled as she'd expected Charles to answer the door and for her to have a few moments to calm her nerves before he re-introduced her to the girls. She recovered quickly though and greeted them warmly, her years of experience with Caitlin having taught her that young girls love to be complimented on how grown up they look. They seemed really eager to impress her, and Nicole politely offering to take her coat for her was the sweetest thing. Some sibling rivalry had threatened the harmony when Bianca had also wanted to be in charge of taking her coat, but she knew a thing or two about conflict resolution with children, and giving her the responsibility of taking her scarf instead had done the trick.

Liza had had a few moments when the girls ran off to put her things in the cloakroom to say hello to Charles and to bask in his nearness - she'd seen him less that 24 hours ago, but she'd missed him. When the girls came barrelling back over to her and Charles, she'd focussed solely on them, knowing that tonight was about them and that they needed her attention tonight more than Charles did. They seemed eager to have her attention and excitedly dragged her upstairs to play with their Polly Pockets. She'd laughed when they said that Charles tried but struggled due to his fingers being too big - she could just imagine him with his large man hands trying to play with tiny little plastic figures.

Nicole and Bianca had been eager to show her their impressive collection of Polly Pockets and they'd sat on the floor as she put on her best story-telling voices, that she'd perfected when Caitlin was their age, and acted out scenes with the different figures. The girls giggled happily and the sound warmed her heart. She'd been so engrossed in her little game that she was caught off guard when Bianca asked her if she was her Daddy's girlfrind.

"erm, yeah - I guess I am" she stuttered.

"Do you love him?" Nicole asked, causing Bianca to giggle.

She smiled warmly at them as she answered. "I do – very much." This was a very easy question to answer and she wanted to be honest with them. They loved their Dad and they wanted reassurance that she did too.

"Good" Nicole answered simply. She was seemingly satisfied with Liza's answer and approval from them was therefore received. They didn't seem to need any further clarification and they went back to playing Polly Pocket, interspersed with telling her stories about school and their ballet lessons that morning.

By the time they had dinner, Liza was feeling totally relaxed. The four of them sat around the table chatting and laughing as if they'd been doing this for years. Liza felt comfortable and accepted by all three of them and it was a wonderful feeling. The girls accepting her into their lives mattered so much to her because they were Charles' world and she didn't want them to be unhappy or feel sidelined because their Dad had someone new in his life. They'd tucked into a feast of macaroni cheese and garlic bread, which she'd learned was the girls' favourite and also a specialty of his. She had to give him credit because it tasted amazing, although he'd refused to give her the recipe, teasing her by saying it was a secret and that she'd have to earn it. When the girls had started chatting between themselves about some kids TV programme she'd never heard of, Charles had interlaced their fingers and squeezed her hand under the table whilst giving her that smile he reserved only for her - the one that made her knees go weak. It was a good thing she was sitting down.

After dinner they'd played a game of junior Articulate, with her and Bianca playing against Charles and Nicole. It had been hilarious and the girls had gotten very involved. After a closely fought first round, she and Bianca had been crowned the victors. Nicole had insisted on mixing up the teams for the second round so she'd been paired with Liza instead of Charles. After more hilarity, Liza's team had once again been the winners, so each of the girls had won once. She was pretty sure Charles had engineered it so the girls would win when they were paired with her, and she appreciated why he'd done it.

When Charles had told the girls it was time to get ready for bed, Liza had thought she'd say goodnight to them and that would be the end of the evening. However, she'd been surprised when they'd asked her to read them a story before they went to sleep. Charles had smiled with pride as he watched her follow his pyjama-clad daughters up the stairs. The girls had lay in their beds and lapped up her telling of 'Matilda', even though she was pretty sure they'd heard it numerous times before. After about three chapters, Liza smiled when she saw that both girls were fast asleep. She put the book down and gently tucked them in, careful not to wake them. She brushed the hair from the faces and kissed each of them on the forehead before turning off their lamps and quietly closing the door on the way out.

Charles was waiting for her when she got back downstairs. She would have loved to have spent the night with him but she knew it was important to ease the girls in gently and get them used to having her around before they saw her coming out of their Dad's bedroom in the morning. They'd sat on the couch together, her in between his legs with her back leaning against his chest. He played with her hair and ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm, until she felt so relaxed she thought she'd melt into the couch. She being in such a trance she hadn't noticed the soft jazz music filling the room, and when he shyly asked her do dance, she wasn't sure her legs would hold her. With her head resting on his chest and his arms around her waist as they swayed slowly to the music, she knew that even if her legs gave way that he'd be there to catch her. Their goodnight kiss turned into a 30 minute make out session as they unhurriedly explored each other's mouths. Neither tried to deepen it, knowing they couldn't take it any further at that time, but that didn't make it any less breathtaking or sensual. When her car arrived they'd reluctantly said goodbye and she smiled at him through the window until he was out of sight. She'd slept like a baby that night, feeling more happy and content than she thought she'd ever felt before.

* * *

Ever since they'd gotten together, getting up in the morning was no longer an effort, because the sooner she got to work the sooner she got to see Charles. Despite her eagerness to get into work early, Charles was tied up in meetings all morning so she didn't get to see him. She did make productive use of her extra time though – she read through and made notes on a manuscript Kelsey had left for her, had a conversation with Hello Sunshine about a new book they might be interested in, and sorted out the catering and decor for one of Diana's events. So by the time lunchtime came around, she'd completed most of her work for the day. She went over to the break area and made herself a coffee. When Charles's office door opened and the last of the people he was meeting with left the room, she made an extra coffee and took it over to his door.

"Hey" she said softly, peaking her head around the door and smiling at his look of concentration as he stared at his laptop screen.

He looked up when he heard her voice and a beautiful smile lit up his face, "Hey". He stood up from his desk and came round in front of it to meet her.

"I thought you might need this" she told him, holding the coffee out to him.

"Thank you" he replied, taking it gratefully, "I really do need it"

As he took a sip, her jaw dropped slightly as something on the end of his desk caught her eye – a cupcake. A hundred images flashed through her mind in glorious technicolour of the last time she'd walked into his office and found a cupcake on his desk – particular attention was paid to the dream she'd had in which no one interrupted them, and where they'd found a new use for his bookcase.

Charles followed her gaze and smiled when he saw what she was looking at. "The girls made cupcakes yesterday and they insisted I bring one in for you."

Liza blushed furiously at having been caught staring. "That's erm...that's really nice of them" she stuttered.

Charles frowned, "are you okay?"

"I erm, I'm fine." X-rated images were still flashing through her mind, so forming proper sentences was proving problematic.

"Are you sure? You look a little...flushed?"

Liza's blush intensified. He'd seen her naked, numerous times - there was no need for her to be embarrassed. She rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about the last time I came in here and you had a cupcake on your desk."

As realisation dawned on him, Charles's look of confusion turned into one of amusement and also something else that made her skin tingle. "Ah, I remember that night fondly. It's just a shame we got interrupted."

"Yeah" Liza replied shyly, "...except...I had a dream the night before about us - here, and that time we weren't interrupted."

Charles was trying to conceal his smirk, but was failing miserably. "You did?" Liza just nodded, which only made him smile more. "And what happened in this dream?" Liza opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. Her eyes unconsciously flicked over to his bookcase and he immediately caught on as to why. "The bookcase huh?" Liza felt her cheeks burning as he looked at her with a sultry mix of intrigue and desire.

"Ah Charles, they you are" Liza jumped at the sound of Diana's voice as she strolled into Charles's office and started speaking to him about arrangements for a book launch.

"I'll erm...I'll leave leave you two to it" she turned to leave, eager to escape as she knew she was beet red. Charles's voice stopped her in her tracks just as she reached the door.

"Oh, Liza - I'll give your idea a lot of thought." He smiled subtly at her with his eyes, whilst her jaw dropped and her face felt like it was on fire. She smiled awkwardly at them both she hurried off to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.

* * *

To say she hadn't been able to concentrate that afternoon would be an understatement. Kelsey had been speaking to her for a whole minute before she registered her presence, and she hadn't noticed the phone ringing twice, causing Diana to yell at her from her office. Charles casually strolling over and asking her to come and see him in his office before she left also didn't help her concentration ability – at least not on anything work-related anyway.

She waited until everyone had left for the day and then made her way over to Charles's office. It was February but with how hot she was feeling right now it felt like the middle of summer. She knocked on his door and felt her heart beat faster at hearing his soft "come in". She stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. As he stood up and walked over to her she noticed that he'd drawn the blinds. The look in his eyes was primal and her breath caught in her throat as he reached behind her and locked the door.

Liza got lost in his gaze, and all she could manage to whisper was "everyone's gone home."

"I know" he murmured, reaching out to brush a strand of hair off her face. There were mere inches separating them and she could feel the heat emanating from his body. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier."

Liza felt the temperature rise even more at his words. "You have?"

"I have." Her breathing became laboured the way he was looking at her. "I thought it might be interesting to re-enact that dream of yours – see if the fantasy lives up to reality." He smirked as he repeated the words she'd said to Maggie back to her.

Liza felt fit to burst and he'd barely even touched her yet. "That would...definitely be interesting."

Charles erased the distance between them by pressing his body into hers, and she could feel that she wasn't the only one that was fit to burst. His hands strayed under the back of her top and his fingers traced patterns on her skin as he whispered in her ear "why don't you tell me what happened in your dream then?"

Liza thankfully regained the ability to speak as the need to play out her fantasy took over. She reached up and started to undo his tie, keeping her eyes locked with his the whole time, "well, first I helped you out of this". His eyes darkened with desire as she dropped his tie on the floor. "And then you picked me up so my legs were around your waist."

Charles swallowed and it was his turn for his breath to catch. He recovered quickly and bent down, effortlessly lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he whispered, "like this?"

"Yeah - just like that."

"What next?" he murmured as he began kissing her neck.

She moaned in pleasure, finding it hard to concentrate when he was doing that. "Then...ah...then you carried me over to the bookcase." He did just that, pressing her up against it, without stopping his delicious torture of her neck.

The sensations were becoming too much as he ground into her. She was panting as she reached between them and undid the buttons on his shirt, pulling it free from his pants and taking the opportunity to run her hands over his taut stomach. His belt was trickier but she managed it and pushed his pants and boxers down his legs, freeing him. Their gazes met and they were both breathing hard. "No more talking" she whispered, before their mouths clashed and their tongues fought for dominance in a frenzy of passion and need. She braced herself on the bookcase as his hands left a trail of fire on her thighs as they disappeared underneath her skirt. He teased her until she was writhing in his arms, "Please Charles!" she begged, not even sure what she was begging for - all she knew was that he needed him, now. Their eyes locked as he moved her panties to the side and achingly slowly slid into her. She gasped at the feeling of fullness, and moaned his name over and over as he began to move. He built her up and up until her words were no longer decipherable, and then when she thought she would pass out from the pleasure he was igniting in her, he pushed them over the cliff together. As her body erupted and she saw stars, she came to the conclusion that her reality far surpassed her fantasy.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Firstly, I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! I stayed up all night on Tuesday to watch the new episode and got more than a little distracted with it's sheer amazingness! How awesome was that whole episode though?! I literally haven't stopped smiling (or re-watching) :)

Secondly, thank you as always for your wonderful comments - they always make my day!

So, in honour of e08, here's a bit of their 'bubble' for you before things get a bit more complicated. Hope you enjoy :)

p.s. If you want a visual of the hotel they're staying in, go to: theonepenthouse dot com (it won't let me post website links here so just change the dot for a .) The picture on the main page is what I imagined for the balcony scene :)

* * *

CHARLES

As he stood in line at terminal 4 in JFK waiting to check in, a small smile tugged at Charles's lips. He had his phone in his hand and was pretending to be engrossed in reading an email, but really he was watching her. He found himself doing that a lot lately, whenever she was in sight. Liza was stood a few yards in front of him, chatting animatedly to Kelsey and gesturing excitedly in her adorable exaggerated manner. Diana and Zane were stood just in front of him, deep in conversation – he had no idea what they were talking about however, as his focus was solely on Liza. He couldn't get enough of her cute, dorky laugh, or the way when she smiled her entire face lit up. He loved how expressive she was when she was talking about something she was passionate about. He could watch her all day, even if she wasn't doing anything, and never get bored.

When the line started moving, he grabbed his bag and shuffled forward a few paces before resuming his covert staring. The five of them were off to Frankfurt for a book fair. It was the largest book fair in the world and he was actually quite looking forward to it – although he knew part of that was due to who was coming with him. Although book fairs were great at generating publicity for the company and for generating new leads, with the current financial situation they were in, Frankfurt wasn't originally an option. It was only because the organisers were old friends of his father's and had insisted that Empirical should attend that they were going. They had offered to pay the airfare and accommodation for Charles and four members of his team, and so three days ago he had asked Diana, Kelsey, Zane and Liza if they would like to go. They had all, unsurprisingly, jumped at the chance.

Unbeknownst to the others, Charles had called the airline and paid a little extra to ensure that he and Liza would be sat next to each other on the plane, a few rows away from the others. As it was so last-minute, he figured it would seem like random allocation of seats and wouldn't raise any eyebrows – except maybe with Kelsey, but that wasn't going to deter him. He'd also contacted the hotel and arranged for him, Liza and Kelsey to be on a separate floor to Diana and Zane. He thought it might raise questions if it was just him and Liza on the same floor, but with Kelsey as well it would again look like random allocation. He fully intended to make the most of being away with Liza, and he had no intention of sleeping alone in his room. Seeing as how Kelsey already knew about them, he figured she was the safest option for a neighbour.

In the departure lounge, Liza caught sight of his ticket and smirked when she saw his seat number. "It looks like we're sitting together"

Charles did his best to keep his face straight. "We are? What a coincidence!"

Liza's eyes shone with humour. "Yeah, total coincidence. Is it also a coincidence that the others are three rows in front of us?"

"Well we did book the flight very late - the airline would have just given us whatever seats were left."

"Uh-huh" When Liza raised an eyebrow, he couldn't keep a straight face any longer and they both laughed.

* * *

With the plane safely in the air, Charles peered over the seats to see what his colleagues were doing. Diana had an eye mask on and appeared to be trying to sleep and Kelsey and Zane were either flirting or arguing - he couldn't tell. They were in first class so there was more space between the rows, and conveniently he and Liza were a few rows behind the others and so out of sight. He looked over at Liza and saw that she looked tense and was clutching the seat rests. "Not one for flying?" he guessed, placing his hand over hers and stroking it with his thumb.

Liza's grip on the seat rest relaxed and she gave him a small smile as she turned her hand over and interlaced her fingers with his. "I'm okay once I've been in the air for a while, it's just takeoff and landing that gets me."

Charles squeezed her hand in support, "well if you get nervous, just take my hand okay. And remember that flying is one of the safest forms of transport."

"I know, and thank you. Although when I'm gripping your hand so tight it's cutting off the blood supply when we start to land, you may regret saying that!"

Charles chuckled, "I won't regret it." And that sentence held a lot of meaning – he would never regret anything that he did with Liza.

He did his best to distract her - he talked to her about the girls and how they'd been asking when she'd be coming round next to play with them. Liza's face lit up at this and he was so glad that he'd found someone that would love his girls and not see them as a burden. After about 40 minutes she was totally relaxed and back to herself, so he felt okay leaving her alone to go to the bathroom. He'd been crossing his legs since they boarded, having made the mistake of not going beforehand, but he didn't want to leave Liza alone when she was feeling stressed. "I'm just going to the bathroom, do you need anything?"

Liza smiled warmly at him, "I have everything I need."

His heart did a little flip-flop at her double meaning and he had a goofy grin on his face as he walked down the aisle. He relieved himself and splashed some water on his face, trying to wake himself up a little. It was 4 AM and he'd never been a fan of night flights. He unlocked the door and jumped slightly as it opened without his assistance. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Liza standing on the other side, a mischievous look in her eyes.

He was even more surprised when she put her hand on his chest and pushed him gently back inside, stepping in herself and locking the door behind her. "I thought of something that I need" she murmured huskily. His pulse sped up as she placed her hands on the side of his face and pulled his mouth down to hers, fusing her lips with his in a passionate frenzy. His knee was jammed between the sink and toilet and he couldn't stand up straight due to lack of space, but when Liza moaned into his mouth he couldn't care less. His brain turned to complete mush when she fumbled with his belt, pulled the zipper down and slipped her hand inside his boxers. He gasped and threw his head back when she started to stroke him - he'd been hard since she opened the door, but he felt himself grow to almost painful lengths as her hands worked their magic on him. When he found himself nearing the edge, he stilled her hand and began kissing a trail from her collarbone to that sweet spot just below her ear that he knew drove her wild. She was thankfully wearing a skirt so he ran his hand along her thigh and hitched the fabric up before moving the delicate lace of her panties aside. She gasped his name as he slipped his fingers inside her and he almost died at how ready she was for him. He worked her over with his hand until she was panting and limp in his arms, and he kissed her to swallow her cries.

When the need to be inside her became too much, he bent down and lifted her into his arms. In the heat of passion though, he'd forgotten that he was too tall to stand up fully in this confined space and the next thing he heard was a crunch and an "Ow!" from Liza as both of their heads hit the ceiling. They looked at each other startled and then burst out laughing.

He rested his forehead on hers and rubbed the top of her head where it had made contact with the ceiling. "I think we're a little too tall to do this in here."

Liza giggled in amusement, "I think you might be right."

They smirked at each other as they redressed. "Tonight" he promised, leaning down to kiss her sweetly. "You go out first and I'll follow shortly. I just erm...need a few minutes."

Liza bit her lip to keep from laughing as she glanced down at his very obvious arousal, that would undoubtedly give them away if he came out now. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you."

"Saying things like that isn't helping me right now"

Liza giggled as she left and pulled the door shut behind her. He locked it and shook his head in amusement as he looked at the grinning man staring back at him in the mirror. He took a deep breath and splashed some more water on his face to try and calm himself down. Well, he was definitely awake now!

* * *

Charles had to admit he was impressed with the hotel his father's friends had organised for them. He'd googled it briefly before they flew out so he could find the contact details, but the pictures didn't do it justice. The Falkenstein Grand Kempinski was set into a hillside and had spectacular views out over the city. His room was on the top floor, and after setting his bag down he stepped out onto his private balcony that looked out over the beautiful grounds and the city lights beyond. As the sun started setting across the sky, he couldn't help but think how romantic this place was and he smiled at the thought of sharing it with Liza.

It was 5 PM local time now and as they'd been travelling all day, they were all pretty tired by the time they got here so they'd headed to their respective rooms to get some rest. Liza and Kelsey's rooms were on either side of his, and Diana and Zane were on the floor below. He hadn't slept in over 24 hours, but having Liza so close – literally on the other side of his wall, there was no way he could sleep. Charles pulled out his phone and typed out a text to her. _'Hey neighbour'_. He smiled as the three dots appeared instantly. _'Hey. My room is amazing...it's really big for just one person though...'_ came the response. His smile widened - he heeded her subtle invitation, pocketed his key card and was out of his room and knocking softly on hers within 30 seconds.

They grinned at each other as she opened the door and stepped aside to let him in. He interlaced their fingers as he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Hey". He took a deep breath and just took a moment to savour her nearness.

"Hey" she murmured, "Have you seen the view - it's incredible!" She tugged his hand and pulled him over towards the window and out onto the balcony. It was totally secluded out here, like they were in their own little bubble. As she stood against the railing and looked out at the sun setting over the city, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed a warm kiss on her forehead. "It's really beautiful."

Charles smiled and rested his head on top of hers, "it's got nothing on you" he whispered.

Liza turned around in his arms and returned his smile as she looked up at him, "you really are very romantic".

Her cupped her cheek with his hand as he spoke, "it's easy with you."

Her eyes looked a little misty as she tightened her arms around his waist, "you know I've never been to Europe before."

This made Charles smile - he was glad he was getting to experience this with her for the first time. "So this is your first European sunset too then?"

"It is"

"Well then we should do this properly. Wait here." He strode back into the room and grabbed the covers and pillows off the bed and brought them back out onto the balcony. Liza watched him curiously as he set them up on the floor and then held his hand out to her. "Come here." She took his outstretched hand and they sat down together, her back to his chest, as he wrapped the blankets around them. This was the way to watch a sunset with the woman you love. A rush of warmth ran through his veins as she leaned her head back on his shoulder and a contented sigh escaped her lips.

With his arms wrapped around her, and her body pressed to his, the moment didn't require words. As Liza watched the kaleidoscope of colours ripple across the sky and change from day to night, he watched her watching it. There was something incredibly endearing about the look of wonder and enthusiasm on her face when she experienced something new. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Bending his head, he placed a tender kiss just behind her her ear and whispered, "I love you." They didn't say it often - they didn't need to, because they just knew. He vowed to say it more often though because the look on her face when she looked up at him made his heart clench.

Moisture pooled in her eyes, which glistened with so much emotion, as she said the words that meant so much to him. "I love you too".

Charles bent his head and captured her lips with his in a kiss that was so achingly tender he felt a lump forming in his throat. No more words were needed as he gently laid her back on the blankets and took his time in showing her just how much she meant to him. The only sounds that could be heard were their soft moans and whispers of each other's names as they made love under the starlit sky.

* * *

Waking up with Liza in his arms had to be one of his favourite things in the world. She hadn't woke yet so he took the opportunity to just drink her in - he didn't know how he'd managed to survive so long without this. He smiled as he remembered last night – they'd made love on the balcony twice, their need for one another insatiable. They'd moved back inside when the temperature started to drop, and fallen asleep together in a pleasantly exhausted tangle of limbs. He could safely say that sex with Liza was the best he'd ever had - the sheer level of emotion involved was just mind blowing, and he couldn't get enough of how responsive she was to his every touch.

Charles glanced over at the clock – they were supposed to be attending a panel in an hour, and as much as he'd love to stay in bed with her all day, unfortunately they had to get up. He brushed his hand lightly up and down her side as he leaned down to kiss her softly. He smiled as her eyes fluttered open as she woke. "Good morning" he whispered.

"Morning" Liza murmured, her voice thick with sleep. Her face broke into a lazy smile as she came into full consciousness and realised where they were. "What time is it?"

"It's just turned 8 - we have about an hour until the panel."

Liza stretched and placed a small kiss on his neck, which sent tingles down his spine. "Okay, we should really get up then. I'm gunna jump in the shower quickly."

"We could always share to save time?" he teased.

Liza giggled as she climbed off the bed and headed towards the bathroom, "I have a feeling we would be very, very late if we did that!"

Charles grinned as she disappeared into the bathroom, knowing full well that she was right. He got a little distracted at the sight of her in just a towel as she emerged from her shower, but he managed to tear himself away for long enough to quickly shower himself whilst she got dressed. His luggage was still in his room so he'd have to swing by there on the way to the panel to change his clothes.

Liza was fully dressed by the time he emerged from the bathroom and he smiled as he took her into his arms. "You look pretty" he told her, leaning down to kiss her sweetly.

Liza beamed at his compliment, "so I'll see you down there?"

"You will". He kissed her once more before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.

He froze and almost jumped out of his skin however when he saw Diana and Kelsey heading straight towards him. This could be awkward. Kelsey raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look.

"Oh, good morning Charles", Diana greeted him cheerfully. She was on a different floor so she didn't know that this wasn't his room.

That was until the door flung open and Liza came crashing into his back - the force causing him to stumble forward slightly. "Charles you forgot your-"

"Liza?" Diana frowned.

He racked his brain for any kind of plausible explanation, but he had nothing. He glanced at Liza out of the corner his eye and saw the startled expression on her face.

"erm, there was a big spider - huge!" Liza blurted out, gesturing at the hugeness with her hands. "Charles heard me screaming from the hallway and came to check I wasn't being murdered."

Diana looked a little bemused, but seemed to be used to Liza's random outbursts. She looked to Charles for clarification. "Yeah, I was just going to get some more towels when I heard her screaming."

Kelsey rolled her eyes, "So did Charles deal with this 'huge' spider then?"

Liza glared at her, "He did - it was lucky he was passing by."

It was definitely lucky that he'd passed by Liza's room, but Diana didn't need to know those details. "So, we should probably head down to the panel. I'll meet you ladies down there." Charles told told them, hoping to change the subject and escape the awkwardness.

"Yes, indeed" Diana agreed, "Liza, I need you to find me some coffee - the jetlag is kicking in."

Liza hurried off with Diana, and when they were out of earshot Kelsey looked at him with an amused expression on her face. "Are you sure the screaming didn't start after you got in her room?"

Charles blushed - he and Liza needed to work on their sneaking skills.


	24. Chapter 24

AN: Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter - I'm glad you enjoyed romantic Charles :) Also, welcome to those who've just found the story!

So this chapter has a little less CL interaction, but we all know how much these two can say without words :) It's more angsty than previous chapters but I think this will be an important part of S5 so I wanted to include it. We do get to see some Liza-Kelsey interaction though which I enjoyed writing. It also builds into the next chapter where we get to see protective Charles - I do love protective Charles :)

Anyway, here it is - enjoy :)

* * *

LIZA

If Liza hadn't already thought that Charles was a romantic before last night, she definitely would now. His old-fashioned chivalry and gentleman-ly values were some of the many things she loved about him. It just seemed so effortless to him - it was just part of who he was. Their date to the SeaGlass carousel had been beautiful and amazing and wonderful, and she hadn't thought it possible to top that for swoon-worthiness, but his spur of the moment idea to watch the sunset over Frankfurt from high up on the hill, was Hallmark movie worthy. She'd never been with a man who'd been so focussed on romance and wooing her, and she found that she liked it. David didn't have a romantic bone in his body, and Josh was sweet but they'd never really gone on dates and tended just to hang out at his apartment or in a bar. With Charles though, it just came naturally. Even before they'd gotten together, he would stand when she came over to their table at a restaurant, he'd hold doors open for her and give her his jacket if she was cold - it was refreshing, sexy, and very endearing.

Ever since they'd left New York, her and Charles had been in their own little bubble of happiness. She knew he'd had a hand in their seating arrangements on the plane and the room allocation at the hotel, and although she'd teased him about it, it warmed her heart that he'd gone out of his way to ensure that they had as much time together as possible. It was getting harder and harder to say goodbye at the end of the nights and to go back to their respective homes, so having these few days away together (even though they were having to sneak around) was amazing. After watching the sunset together, they said those three little words that they'd felt for far longer but had only recently been admitted. They'd then made slow, unhurried love to each other under the stars, and it had been one of the most perfect moments of her life. When the air started to chill their skin, they'd relocated to the warmth of Liza's bed, and as had become a habit, they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms – her head on his chest, and his arms protectively wrapped around her. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that she fell in love with him, but she knew she'd been falling for a very long time – and she felt deep in her heart that there would never be a time when she didn't love him.

Waking up in his arms just topped off the perfection of the night, and if they didn't have to show their faces at various events today, she'd have happily stayed in bed with him in their little bubble all day. She'd been more than a little tempted to take him up on his offer to shower together, but she'd impressed herself with her self-control and resisted, knowing they'd never be on time if they did that.

When he'd kissed her goodbye at the door, with the promise to see her shortly downstairs, she sighed in contentment. Something caught her eye on the bed and she realised Charles had left his watch behind. He'd only been gone a few moments so she grabbed it and flung the door open, hoping to catch him before he got to his room. That was when her day started to go downhill, and her and Charles's happy little bubble threatened to be burst.

"Charles you forgot your-" She didn't get to finish her sentence because she collided with a solid wall of muscle that was Charles's back. He stumbled slightly at the impact and she blinked rapidly at the unexpected blockade. It was then that she noticed that Charles wasn't alone in the hallway.

"Liza?" It wasn't unusual for the sound of Diana's voice to make her jump, but this time she felt like a naughty child who'd just been caught by their teacher. Kelsey was also looking at her with a 'now I know why you didn't answer your phone last night' look. She glanced quickly at Charles who was just standing there with his mouth slightly ajar, clearly trying to think of a believable excuse as to why he was coming out of her room at 8:45 AM.

"erm, there was a big spider - huge!" she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, and gestured at the hugeness with her hands. "Charles heard me screaming from the hallway and came to check I wasn't being murdered." She was internally rolling her eyes at how ridiculous she sounded.

Diana looked a little bemused, but didn't seem totally disbelieving - she wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or not! Diana looked to Charles for clarification, and he snapped out of his stunned silence. "Yeah, I was just going to get some more towels when I heard her screaming."

Kelsey of course knew they were talking total bull and rolled her eyes, "So did Charles deal with this 'huge' spider then?"

Liza glared at her, knowing she was enjoying their discomfort. "He did - it was lucky he was passing by."

Charles looked as uncomfortable as she felt, and in any other situation she would have found the expression on his face comical. "So we should probably head down to the panel. I'll meet you ladies down there."

"Yes, indeed" Diana agreed, "Liza, I need you to find me some coffee - the jetlag is kicking in." She'd never been happier to be tasked with getting Diana coffee and jumped at the chance to escape the awkwardness of the situation, gratefully hurrying onto the elevator with her.

As the doors were closing she saw Kelsey say something to Charles - she couldn't hear what was said but Kelsey smirked and Charles blushed so she was sure it was some sort of innuendo. She'd have to have words with Kelsey later. Thankfully Diana didn't say anything more about their previous encounter, seemingly putting it down to her assistant's quirkiness, and instead their conversation focused on their itinerary for the day and Diana's tales of previous trips to Germany when she was in her twenties.

* * *

They'd taken a short cab ride to the Messe Frankfurt where the book fair was being held, and taking in the size of the event and sheer volume of publishers there, managed to make her forget some of the morning's awkwardness. The first panel they'd attended was really interesting, and afterwards she and Kelsey had thrown themselves into networking and promoting Millennial's new titles.

By the time lunchtime rolled around she was exhausted as she sat around a table in one of the convention centre's cafés with Diana and Kelsey. She wasn't sure where Charles had got to but she'd seen him earlier with Zane, talking to someone from a German publishing house. Even though she was tired, she'd had a productive morning and was happy with the leads they'd generated.

Just as she was starting to think that the day was looking up, and that the embarrassment of the morning was behind her, she heard a voice she'd have been more than happy never hearing again.

"Diana Trout! I didn't know Empirical were coming here."

"Cheryl, how nice to see you." The fake smile on Diana's face told Liza she was anything but happy to see her – and Liza was definitely with her on that one. "And Empirical wouldn't have missed it." Cheryl's gaze drifted to her, and Liza didn't like the look in her eyes. "You remember my assistant, Liza?"

A sadistic smile took over her face as she replied, "Of course - how could I forget?"

"And this is Kelsey Peters" Diana introduced, "she and Liza run Millennial. Kelsey, this is Cheryl Suzzman from Random House"

"Ah yes, Millenial." Liza didn't like the emphasis she placed on the word 'Millennial'. "You've had some big successes. It must have a lot to do with you knowing your target audience, given that you're both millennials."

Kelsey narrowed her eyes at Cheryl, sensing that something was off. "I think it has less to do with our age, and more to do with our talent." Liza felt a rush of pride towards Kelsey and forgave her for her earlier comments at the hotel.

Cheryl clenched her jaw, clearly not appreciating Kelsey's comment. Liza internally groaned as Cheryl turned back to Diana and asked, "do you mind if I join you ladies?"

Diana paused and plastered on another fake smile. "Of course not. Please, have a seat."

The conversation was painful, with Cheryl making subtle digs every chance she got. After about 10 minutes Liza wanted to throw something at her head. When Diana excused herself to go to another panel, Liza had had enough and was ready to tell her where to go.

Cheryl narrowed her eyes at Kelsey. "So I take it you know about her then?"

Kelsey put on her poker face, "know what?"

"Don't play dumb with me Blondie - it doesn't suit you. I'm talking about her age, and her pretending to be younger than she is."

Kelsey's face remained passive, and to her credit she didn't rise to the provocation. "Liza's age has nothing to do with her ability to do her job. But if we're talking about acting younger than you are, then you're doing a pretty good job of that yourself – you know blackmail is very unbecoming in someone of your advanced years."

Liza had to bite her lip to stop herself from smirking – Kelsey just dropped the mic! The look on Cheryl's face was murderous and Liza felt that maybe poking an angry bear was not the best idea.

"Blackmail? You two little bitches haven't seen anything yet - I'll show you blackmail!" Liza got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach at the venom in her voice. "How about this - the Devereux memoir, it's going to be big - I want it."

Kelsey frowned at her in disbelief. "That's Millennial's book, I've been working with Jake for months editing it - why on earth would I give it to you?"

Cheryl smirked at them, "Because if you don't, then I'll tell the world that Millennial isn't actually run by millennials."

Liza rolled her eyes - she couldn't believe she actually used to be friends with this woman. "Haven't we been here before Cheryl?"

"Yes, but now you have more to lose."

"Look" Kelsey snapped, getting annoyed, "as I said before, Liza's age doesn't affect how well she does her job."

"But it would affect the credibility of your imprint." And that was the issue now - it wasn't just her that would be affected. Before, it was only her job at risk - but now Kelsey's career could be affected too, and Cheryl knew it. She turned to Liza as she continued, "Are you prepared to risk the entire imprint and your friend's career for the sake of one book?"

Liza could have cheerfully punched her in the face right then. "It wouldn't be just one book though would it?" She sighed, knowing that this was a no win situation. "You know what, you do your worst. But you're not having Kelsey's book."

Cheryl smirked as she stood back up, "why don't I let you think about that for a while."

As she watched Cheryl walk away and sit down at another table, presumably with people from her own company, she saw Charles across the room looking at her with concern. He asked her with his eyes if she was okay and she just nodded and gave him a small smile, not wanting to drag him into this.

She dragged her attention away from Charles when Kelsey placed her hand on her arm. "She plays dirty Liza! What a bitch! Are you alright?"

Liza swallowed the lump forming in her throat and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I just need some fresh air. Can we get get out of here?"

"Sure, I'll just pay the bill and meet you out front."

Liza smiled gratefully at her then hurried out of the door. Once outside she took a deep breath, willing the tears that had started to form not to fall. Kelsey came out shortly after and gave her a sympathetic smile as they sat down on the steps. "I can't do this anymore Kels."

Kelsey took Liza's hand in hers and squeezed it in support. "No Liza - you can't let that evil bitch blackmail you."

Liza sighed, "if not her then it'll be someone else. I'm tired of all the lying Kelsey. I lied about my age to get a job so I could pay Caitlin's tuition. I never wanted to hurt anybody, but the longer this goes on, the more I keep doing just that. I won't risk your career Kelsey. I have to leave Millennial - it's the only way." It physically hurt to even say the words but she couldn't risk damaging the imprint or Kelsey's reputation.

"No" Kelsey sobbed, tears forming in her eyes. "There has to be another way."

Liza smiled sadly at her friend, "If I stay, when people find out that I've lied it could damage Millennial, and tarnish everything we've achieved."

"This can't be the end." A tear ran down her cheek and Liza pulled her into a hug, hating to see her upset.

"It has to be" she said sadly. She wished there was a way around it, but it seemed like the only way to save Millennial was to sacrifice herself.

They talked for a little while until Kelsey decided to head back to the hotel, not in the mood for any more networking this afternoon. Liza understood, not feeling like talking to people either, but she was determined to do as much for Millennial as she could, while she still could.

Liza allowed a few tears to fall as she mourned the imminent loss of the job she loved so much. As she swiped the last of the tears from her cheek, she felt a rush of warmth as a jacket was gently placed over her shoulders and a soothing voice spoke softly to her, "Hey, don't cry."


	25. Chapter 25

AN: Thank you as always for your feedback - I love reading each and every one of your comments, so please keep them coming :) So I've probably got 3 more chapters left, including this one, and it would be absolutely amazing if I could hit the 200 milestone by the time I finish!

As promised, this chapter is protective Charles, and he was a lot of fun to write :) I'm not sure how the whole Cheryl Suzzman situation will play out on the show, so this is how I'd like Liza's story to move forward from it. Enjoy :)

* * *

CHARLES

Charles had thrown himself into the book fair, and done his best to avoid Diana and Kelsey all morning, hoping they'd forget about the earlier embarrassing encounter in front of Liza's door. Unfortunately for him though, as Liza was with them, he had unintentionally been avoiding her too. He'd just finished having lunch with two CEOs of European publishing houses when he'd spotted her across the room. It was like he had a radar for her – whenever she was around his senses became heightened and he could tell she was nearby. She was having lunch with Diana, Kelsey and some woman he didn't recognise. She didn't look like she was enjoying the experience though, and when Diana left she looked especially tense and anxious. He was glad his lunch meeting was over because he wouldn't have been able to concentrate as he was too concerned over what was causing Liza to look like that. Her jaw was clenched and she was putting on her stubborn, resolute stance, but he knew her and he could tell that she was fighting hard to keep it together. He was about to get up and go over, when the woman – who he already didn't like, stood up and walked away before sitting down at another table. Liza's eyes followed her and it was then that she noticed him and caught his gaze.

One of the things that he'd always marvelled at about the two of them was that they'd always been able to speak volumes with just a look, so he asked her with his eyes if she was okay. She nodded and gave him a small smile, but there was pain in her eyes and he knew that she wasn't okay. The concerned look on Kelsey's face, and the way she placed her hand on Liza's arm, told him she didn't think Liza was okay either. He was even more concerned when after exchanging a few more words with Kelsey, Liza practically ran out of the room.

That was it – he couldn't sit still any longer, he had to do something. He practically jumped out of his chair and then strode purposefully over to Kelsey. He didn't bother with small-talk, needing to know what was going on. "Kelsey, what was all that about?"

Kelsey's jaw clenched and she looked angrily over at where that woman was now sitting. "That bitch from Random House - Cheryl Suzzman, knows about Liza and is trying to blackmail her" she spat. "Didn't sound like it was the first time either."

Charles's blood began to boil - he abhorred people like that. "What did she say?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Pretty much that if we don't give her the Devereux book then she's going to tell the world about Liza's lie. And you know what Liza is like - she cares so much, and I have a feeling she's going to try and throw herself on her sword to save Millennial."

Charles cursed under his breath - he hated this Cheryl Suzzman with a passion. How dare she have the audacity to threaten one of his team – especially Liza. Irrelevant of age, Liza was incredibly good at her job, and he wouldn't allow this pathetic excuse for a human being to damage her career. He glanced over to where Cheryl was laughing with her colleagues, his icy glare enough to bore holes in her head. Turning his attention back to Kelsey, he was determined, "Leave her to me - I'll sort this out."

Kelsey regarded him curiously, a look of admiration and respect on her face. "You really do love her don't you?"

Charles softened a little and gave her a small smile. He was never this open or candid with his employees, but Kelsey was one of Liza's best friends and she'd been keeping quiet about their relationship, so he felt he owed it to her to be honest. "I do - very much. But I wouldn't stand for somebody blackmailing you, Diana or anyone else either." Kelsey smiled at him and he felt that they'd reached an understanding. "Can you check on Liza?" He wanted to go to her himself and see with his own eyes that she was okay, but he needed to deal with the reason she was upset first.

"Of course. And Charles - thank you."

He nodded and they went their separate ways - she to comfort Liza, and he to make Cheryl Suzzman regret even considering the idea of trying to cross Liza. He'd always felt protective over Liza, but now that they were together he felt it was his duty to stop her from coming to any harm.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before striding over to her table. He didn't bother to wait to be acknowledged or for their conversation to cease. "Ms Suzzman, hi." She regarded him like he was a piece of meat and she was a lion who hadn't eaten for days. She was blatantly checking him out and he felt bile rise in his throat in disgust. "I'm Charles Brooks - I own Empirical." Her face dropped when she realised who he was, and he was glad - she should be worried. "I wonder if I might have a moment of time." His voice was polite but his stare was as cold as ice, and he couldn't help but feel satisfied when he saw her gulp. She paused for a moment before acquiescing and he gave her a tight smile as they walked over to a spare table and sat down.

Charles didn't usually like lauding his wealth and power over people, or using it to get what he wanted – that just wasn't him. But for her he would make an exception. "Did you know that I play golf with your boss?" Her eyes widened and she just shook her head. "Yeah, he and I go way back." He paused for a few moments to let that information sink in, and it had the desired effect – she was fidgeting uncomfortably and looked nervous.

"What did you want to speak to me about Mr Brooks?" she stuttered.

Charles smirked humorously at her. "Oh I think you know." She swallowed again and he found himself enjoying her discomfort after seeing how she made Liza feel. "Let's just cut to the chase shall we? I hear you've been trying to blackmail one of my editors."

Cheryl's eyes widened. "I-"

Charles cut her off, "Don't insult me by trying to deny it. You're trying to blackmail Liza Miller into giving you one of Millennial's books – and by association, one of my books."

Cheryl's face reddened at having been called out, but she tried to play what she thought was her trump card. "You don't know everything about Liza Miller - if you did, you wouldn't be so quick to defend her." Her voice was shaky and he could tell she was rattled and that this was the only card she had left to play.

She had clearly underestimated him. He scoffed and fixed her with a cold glare. "Oh, you mean the fact that she's not a millennial? I own the company and I don't care about her age, so why should you?" She clearly hadn't been expecting that and her eyes widened in surprise. He didn't give her chance to respond though as he laid it out for her. "Let me make this clear – I have far more power and influence in this business than you do, and if you even think of trying to blackmail one of my team again or of spreading stories about them, you'll have a lawsuit on your hands before the hour is out. One word from me and your career will be over, and you'll be blacklisted from every publishing house in New York. Companies aren't keen on hiring blackmailers. Do we have an understanding?"

He didn't blink as he stared her down and he watched in satisfaction as realisation dawned on her that if she continued down this path, that it would not end well for her. "Yes" she managed to choke out.

"Good. I hope we won't need to revisit this conversation again" He didn't bother with social formalities as he stood and left her in stunned silence as he walked away. He was pretty sure that if she had half a brain she wouldn't be bothering Liza or Empirical again.

* * *

When he stepped outside, the site he was met with broke his heart. Kelsey was gone and Liza was sat on the steps with her arms wrapped around herself as tears trickled down her cheeks. It was cold out and she wasn't wearing her coat, so he shrugged off his suit jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders as he sat down next to her. "Hey, don't cry" he soothed. It sliced at his heart to see her upset. She lay her head on his shoulder and she seemed so defeated when he wrapped his arm around her. "Kelsey told me what happened."

She sighed and looked so sad as she looked up at him. "I can't do this anymore Charles – I'm hurting too many people, and I never wanted that. I have to leave Millennial – we worked so hard to build it up and I can't risk its credibility or Kelsey's reputation by being associated with it."

He cupped her cheek and tilted her chin up so she was looking right in his eyes. "Hey, you are Millennial. Without you it wouldn't be half the success it is now. And you've proven, time and time again, that you don't need to be a millennial to successfully market an imprint aimed at millennials, or to relate to its readers. I can't let you give up. Like you said, society is ageist – and I'm not going to bow down to it."

Liza looked at him with a mixture of awe and appreciation. "But what about Cheryl Suzzman - she won't give up. She's tried it before - and I swear I didn't give her anything, I would never-"

Charles cut her off with a kiss. "I know. And I know you would never betray me or the company like that." Her eyes welled up again, but this time it wasn't with sadness. "And don't worry about her" Charles couldn't even bring himself to say her name as it left a bad taste in his mouth. "She won't be bothering you again."

Liza's eyes widened in surprise, "But...how did you-"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you don't need to worry about her anymore." He took her hand in his and gave her a small smile as he continued, "People will find out eventually, but you should get to control the narrative. You should get to decide when and how that happens. ...Maybe you should write a book. You could tell your story, and we'll publish it - you could call it Younger."

Liza chuckled, and he couldn't get enough of that sound. "Maybe" she smiled warmly at him. "And would you be the knight in shining armour who gives me my HEA?"

Charles grinned. He sensed she was asking not just hypothetically from a book character point of view, but about them in real life. "Liza, you're one of the strongest people I know - you don't need a white knight. But I would love to be the one to give you your HEA."

Liza leaned in to kiss him - it was brief but it was so achingly tender and held so much emotion. When she pulled back she leaned her forehead on his and whispered, "I love you."

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat - if he lived to be 100, he would never tire of hearing her say that. "I love you too." He stood up and held his hand out to her, "Come on, let's go back in and show that woman she can't get to you." Liza smiled and took his hand. As they walked back into the building together, Charles smiled as he saw that Liza's passion and resilience were back. He'd take on anyone who ever threatened her happiness again. "And when we're done, there's somewhere I'd like to take you tonight."


	26. Chapter 26

AN: I can't thank you enough for your amazing comments - it means so much that you're so invested in this story! So due to popular demand and as a thank you for being so great, I've added an extra chapter - so there will be 3 more, including this one, rather than 2 :) I'm still on a high from e08 so this is some more of their bubble and romantic Charles, before we build towards my season finale! Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

LIZA

Liza wasn't sure what Charles had said to Cheryl to make him so certain she wouldn't be an issue anymore as he wouldn't say. She'd been on the end of his anger and hurt before though and it was not a place she'd like to revisit. Charles was a very principled and passionate man and when he really believed in something and was fighting a cause, he was not someone you'd want to go up against. She couldn't see Cheryl anywhere, so whatever he'd said to her, Liza assumed she was off somewhere licking her wounds.

Charles had stayed by her side for the rest of the afternoon. She understood why he'd done it - he was worried about her and wanted to make sure she was ok. It warmed her heart. As much of an advocate for feminism as she was, she loved this protective side of him - it made her feel wanted and loved. He'd introduced her to publishers and authors from accross the globe as 'one of his finest editors'. She'd smiled every time he'd said it, and what made it better was that he wasn't saying it because they were together - he actually believed in her ability and was proud of her. She also very much enjoyed finding out that Charles was multi-lingual - hearing him speak German, and French was hot! He'd blushed when he caught her staring after he'd said something in German, which only added to his appeal.

After a few hours they'd made numerous contacts, scheduled three conference calls for when they were back in New York, and collected more business cards than she had room in her bag for. They made a good team. When the crowds started to disperse, they collected their coats and headed out into the waning light of the Frankfurt night. Charles had said there was somewhere he wanted to take her but he wouldn't give her any details. He did have that excited little boy look on his face though that he'd had before he took her to the SeaGlass carousel, so she was fairly certain that she'd like it.

Apparently they needed to wait until the sun had set to go to this mysterious place, so whilst they waited she was sat at a table in a quaint little bar as Charles went to get them some drinks. He smiled as he sat down and placed two glasses of what looked like cider in front of them. "You can't come to Frankfurt and not try this."

"What is it?"

"It's Apfelwein"

A shiver ran down her spine at hearing his German accent again and she took a sip to quench the fire that had began building in her belly. It wasn't what she was expecting though and her face contorted at the taste, causing Charles to laugh. "Wow - sour!"

Charles chuckled, "Yeah that's basically what it is - sour cider. You get used to it though, and the taste grows on you."

She smiled, "If you say so." She took another sip and because she was expecting the sourness this time, it wasn't so bad and it did actually grow on her. "So do you really think it can work with me staying at Millenial? I don't want to cause any more problems - for Millenial or Empirical" She wanted to stay, so much, but she didn't want Charles to allow it just out of loyalty to her.

"Liza, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Millenial will do better with you than without you, just like Empirical will...just like I will." She wasn't sure he meant to say the last part out loud and an adorable blush coloured his cheeks. "Your age doesn't negate your ability to be good at your job - it's actually a benefit, because it gives you experience. You're an excellent editor - don't let anyone make you doubt that. If Kelsey's happy for you to stay then you shouldn't feel the need to fall on your sword. We'll find a way to make it work - for everyone."

Liza didn't know if it would all work out okay, or if it would end up blowing up in all of their faces, but Charles spoke with such conviction and had such belief in her that she couldn't help his positivity rubbing off on her. She'd gone with her heart a lot recently and that had worked out very well for her - it had given her Charles, so she decided to go with her heart on this too. If it started to look like she'd be negatively affecting Kelsey's career, Millenial or Empirical, then she'd step aside, but until then she wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Charles had been covertly (or so he'd thought) keeping an eye on the falling light outside. Most people wouldn't have noticed his subtle glances out of the window every now and again, but most people didn't pay as much attention to his every move or nuance as she did. It had been like that ever since she'd first met him - from that first time she'd seen him in the office, wearing a beautiful navy suit and looking so tall and important. He'd captivated her in a way she didn't understand to begin with, but now knew that it was the start of her falling for him.

After the last of his subtle glances outside, a small smile had tugged at his lips, and after throwing some Euros down on the table he stood up and held his hand out to her. "Are you ready?"

"I might be if I knew what I was supposed to be ready for" she teased.

Charles chuckled, and it was a beautiful sound. "Come on"

His grin was infectious and she took his hand as they strolled out into the Frankfurt night as the last of the sunset rippled across the sky. She asked him numerous times where they were going as they walked the few blocks to their destination, but each time he would just smile and tell her to be patient.

They stopped at the foot of a bridge that crossed over the Main River and Liza thought that maybe they were going to take a boat ride down the river. But when they instead walked onto the bridge, stopping when they reached the middle, where they could see for miles out over the city, Liza realised that this was where Charles hadbwanted to bring her. She understood now why he wanted to come here at night - the bridge looked spectacular lit up in the darkness, and the view of the city was incredible.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as they took in the beautiful view together. "This is the Eiserner Steg bridge" he explained, "I wanted to bring you here to see the downtown skyline - people call it 'Mainhatten', because it crosses Main River...and it looks like Manhattan." Liza giggled – Charles really had no idea how adorable he was. "I thought it would remind you of home."

"It's beautiful". And it really was – it was like a scene from a movie and incredibly romantic. She didn't need a New York style skyline to remind her of home though, as she already had a piece of home wrapped around her. She turned around in his arms so they were face-to-face, and pulled his head gently downwards so his lips met hers. "Thank you for bringing me here – I love it."

Charles smiled, clearly happy that she liked it. His voice sounded a little nervous though when he continued, "The view wasn't the only reason I brought you here." He paused and looked down at the railings and touched a couple of what looked like padlocks. It was then that she noticed there were thousands of them, attached to the railings all along the bridge. "They're love locks" he added shyly, seeing her confused expression, "couples add padlocks to the bridge to symbolise their love and commitment to each other." When he blushed and dropped his gaze, her heart literally melted - she had no idea what she'd done to deserve having this man in her life, but she said a silent prayer of thanks that he was.

She couldn't help the huge smile that lit up her face as she reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. She couldn't find the words to tell him how amazing, incredible and thoughtful he was, so she just settled for a simple "thank you" as her voice cracked with emotion.

"So it's not too cheesy?" he asked hopefully.

"Not at all - Charles it's beautiful."

He beamed at her then reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. He handed it to her and looked nervous as he awaited her reaction. For one heart stopping moment she thought there was going to be a ring inside, but she was equally as awed when she opened the lid to find a small padlock with 'LM & CB' engraved on it inside a heart. As she stood there staring at it, her jaw open in amazement, he lifted it gently from the box and placed it in her hand. His shyness returned as he explained, "I knew I wanted to bring you here when I found out we were coming to Frankfurt. I know we've only been together for a short time, but I can't imagine my future without you in it. And I know it's too soon for certain questions and promises of forever, but I thought we could attach our own padlock as a symbol of how far we've come, and how far we can go together."

Tears welled in her eyes at his beautiful words. Her heart ached with love for him – she hadn't thought it possible to love him anymore than she already did, but he'd just proved her wrong. The fact that he'd pre-planned this and that he'd taken the time to buy and engrave a padlock before they'd even left New York, was beyond touching. But knowing now that he wanted a future with her, and that he was thinking in terms of forever, sent a shiver down her spine and her heart into overdrive. Everything he'd said - she wanted that with him. As her emotions spilled over and escaped her eye, he gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. She turned her head into his hand and kissed his palm. "I can't imagine my future without you either" she managed to choke out. "Let's do this together." She took his hand and they found a space on the railing and crouched down. She linked the lock onto the bar, and with his hand over hers they locked it into place. "To the future" she murmured.

They were both grinning like idiots as they looked from their joined initials, sealed in a promise on the bridge, to each other. She giggled uncontrollably as he lifted her up and spun her around. "To our future" he replied, before sealing their promise with a kiss.


	27. Chapter 27

AN: thank you so much for your comments - I really do love reading them :) Glad you enjoyed romantic/ borderline cheesy Charles lol - he's very fun to write! :)

So this is my season finale! I'd always planned for the story to span until the end of season 5 and this is the kind of note I'd like to see it left on going into season 6. There's one more chapter after this and it will be a flash forward to a year in the future. I've got it planned out and I think you'll like it :) I'm aiming to get that one up on Wednesday.

As a treat, this one is nice and long - hope you enjoy it :)

p.s. Happy Younger Day for tomorrow - may the bubble continue!

CHARLES

It was February 27th and it had been just over two weeks since they'd gotten back from Frankfurt and it had proven to be a successful trip, both professionally and personally. He and Liza had seemed to have come to a new understanding - they knew what they had was serious and that they wanted a future together, and they were stronger than ever. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier - Liza and his girls were all that he needed.

It had also been fruitful for business, with a number of the leads they'd generated already in motion to make deals. One particularly promising meeting they'd had was with a woman named Quinn Tyler whom Liza had met and impressed during the book fair. He, Liza and Kelsey had met with her a few days ago with a view to Millennial publishing her book. She was a self-made billionaire and she wasn't yet 40. She wanted to write a book about her 'every woman for herself' approach to business, which she credited for her success. She had impressed all three of them and they'd unanimously agreed that the book would be a huge get for Millennial. He'd left Liza and Kelsey to hash out the details of the offer and a few hours later Liza had come to him with an unexpected proposition.

Quinn had been equally as impressed with Millennial as they had been with her, and it turned out that she already knew about Liza's age. Apparently she does in-depth background checks on anyone she's thinking of going into business with. Refreshingly, she didn't care about her age and praised her for doing what she had to do to succeed in an ageist and sexist society. The unexpected part came when Liza suggested that Quinn might be a good contender as a potential investor for Empirical. Liza knew that Empirical was still struggling and she had tentatively raised the idea with Quinn when they'd been discussing her previous investments. It seemed that she liked to be more of a silent partner and as long as the company was doing well then she didn't interfere in its running. Liza had apologised if she was overstepping and didn't want him to think that she was interfering, but he assured her that she wasn't and that he appreciated her input. He had to admit that a silent partner sounded promising - and far more appealing than what he'd had with Bryce, who'd stuck his nose into everything and wanted to change the ethos of the entire company. If it came off then Liza might just have saved Empirical. He had a meeting with Quinn the following week to discuss the viability of the idea.

As he walked over to the coffee machine he caught Liza's eye as she looked up from her desk, and they shared their secret smile. It was Saturday tomorrow, and more importantly - her birthday. He hadn't let on to her that he knew about it, even when she'd tried to subtly find out if he was aware. He had been conspiring with Maggie though to ensure she didn't make any plans for the day. She was going for dinner with Caitlin tonight but Maggie had managed to keep tomorrow free for him.

She got up from her desk and came to stand next to him, her arm brushing against his as she reached to turn on the coffee machine. "Hey" she breathed.

"Hey" He subtly moved his foot so it was flush against hers and smiled at her sharp intake of breath. "So I was wandering if you might like to spend the day with me tomorrow?"

Liza bit her lip in an attempt to suppress her smile. "Any particular reason?"

Charles grinned, "Do I need a reason to want to spend the day with you?" he teased.

Liza smiled, "No"

"Good, well I'll pick you up at 11:30 then."

"Okay - it's a date."

As they stood there smiling at each other like lovesick teenagers, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

* * *

When morning came he woke up with a huge grin on his face - more excited than if it were his own birthday, and determined to make today special for her. He texted her to tell her to pack an overnight bag, but still didn't let on that he knew it was her birthday.

As she buzzed him up he couldn't help the smile that took over his face as he made his way up the stairs. When she opened the door for him he held out a huge bunch of 18 red roses to her. "Happy Birthday Liza. There's erm...one rose for each month we've known each other" he added shyly.

Liza gasped as she took them from him. "Charles they're beautiful. I wasn't sure you knew."

"Of course I knew - like I was going to let your birthday go by unmarked."

She leaned up and kissed him tenderly, "Thank you."

He kissed her nose and smiled warmly at her, "You're welcome."

"I didn't know what to pack seeing as how you haven't told me what we're doing, so I just guessed."

Charles gave her a knowing smile, "It's okay - I've got it covered." He'd actually told Maggie what he had planned and employed her to pick out a suitable outfit for Liza. He'd dropped by last night when she'd been out with Caitlin to pick it up.

She looked at him curiously, which only made his grin widen. She rolled her eyes and giggled as she put her flowers in a vase and then gave them centre stage on the coffee table. "So where are we going?"

"Well first we're going back to mine - the girls want to wish you Happy Birthday. And I thought you could stay over tonight." She looked at him with a mixture of hope and apprehension - this was a big deal to them as the girls would be there. He took her into his arms and answered her unspoke question. "The girls are fine with it - it was actually their suggestion."

Liza beamed at him, "Really?"

"Yeah - I think they actually like you more than they like me." She laughed and he knew he'd always love hearing that sound. He bent his head and whispered in her ear, "But the rest of the day's plans you'll have to wait and see."

* * *

Before Charles pushed the door to his house open, he turned to Liza and gave her an amused look. "I'll warn you - they're rather excited."

Liza giggled, "Duly noted!"

No sooner had the door opened, Nicole and Bianca hurtled towards them and wrapped themselves around Liza's legs. He had to put his arm around her waist to stop her from being knocked over from the force.

"Hey!" Liza wasn't in the slightest bit fazed though and greeted them warmly before crouching down so she was eye level with them. The girls took the opportunity to pull her into a hug and his heart melted at the scene.

"Happy Birthday Liza!" Bianca exclaimed excitedly.

"We made you a cake!" Nicole added proudly.

"Yeah we made it all by ourselves!" Bianca added.

Charles smiled at the three of them. "It's true - they wouldn't let me help at all." He'd been surprised but overjoyed when the girls had insisted on baking her a cake last night, and even more elated when they suggested she stay over. He'd wanted to move things at their speed, and it made him so happy to know that they felt comfortable enough to want to take that next step. He'd always known how fond they were of her, but knowing they accepted her as his partner was just the best feeling.

"Come see it!" Charles chuckled as his daughters took one of Liza's hands each and excitedly pulled her into the kitchen. He followed them and it warmed his heart to see the look of appreciation and love on her face as she took in the slightly messily iced chocolate cake with her name spelled out in M&Ms and a candle in the middle.

"Wow! Girls that's amazing! Seriously, that's the best cake I've ever had!"

The girls beamed proudly at her praise, happy that she liked it. "Daddy you need to light the candle so Liza can make a wish!"

He followed his daughter's command and lit the candle before the three of them sang a slightly off-key but enthusiastic rendition of 'Happy Birthday' to her. He smiled as she made an exaggerated effort of blowing the candle out, causing the girls to giggle.

"What did you wish for?" Bianca asked her.

"You can't say what you wished for, in case it doesn't come true" Liza whispered to them before looking up at him and smiling, "But it was a good wish."

* * *

After eating far too much cake, the girls had asked Liza what she'd like to do this afternoon. His plans for the two of them didn't start until the evening so he'd given his daughters the floor for the afternoon. Liza had graciously suggested they go bowling, knowing how much the girls liked that. And so an hour later he was sat in Lucky Strike, laughing as Liza celebrated getting a spare. She high-fived the girls as she came to sit back down and cheered them on as they lined up their shots.

"You're pretty good at this."

"Years of practice when Caitlin was little" she offered by way of explanation.

Bowling had never been as fun as it was then, watching the three most important people in his life laugh and enjoy themselves. They played for hours and Liza helped the girls perfect their technique so they could win some games. He was pretty sure she threw some of her own shots to enable that to happen but knowing that she cared enough about his girls to do that just made him love her more. He'd have happily stayed there all night if he didn't already have plans for them. They stopped by Pizza Hut on the way home for dinner - again Liza deferred to Nicole and Bianca for the choice of restaurant and it warmed his heart that she was so good with them, and genuinely happy to go wherever they wanted. They'd laughed and joked as they shared a ridiculously large pizza, accompanied by fries and garlic bread. Even though pizza wouldn't have been his meal of choice, he loved it simply because of the company he was with.

The girls were pretty tired from all the excitement and carbs by the time they got back and put up no resistance when he told them to go and get bathed and ready for bed. He'd hired their second favourite babysitter to look after them for the evening, as he was taking their favourite out with him.

With the babysitter taking care of getting the girls ready for bed, he led Liza into his bedroom. When the door was closed behind them he took her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. "Hi" he murmured.

"Hi. Thank you for today Charles - I've loved it."

"No, thank you" he replied, "You made the girls so happy today - they loved spending time with you."

Liza smiled warmly at him, "I loved spending time with them too, and with you."

Hearing that warmed his heart. "Well it's not over yet."

"Ah yes, this mystery evening you won't give me any details about" she teased, "How am I supposed to know what to wear?"

Charles chuckled and motioned with his head over to his closet. Liza followed his gaze and frowned in confusion. "Is that my dress? And my shoes?"

"It is" he smiled proudly, "I may have had a bit of help from Maggie in choosing it."

Liza rolled her eyes in amusement. "I knew she was up to something."

* * *

As he straightened his tie, he caught sight of Liza in the mirror stepping back into the room and his breath caught in his throat. She had on the knee-length white dress and strappy heels that had been hung on his closet for the past 24 hours. He'd liked the dress as soon as he'd seen it, but nothing could have prepared him for seeing her actually wearing it – she looked amazing. "Liza you look beautiful."

She blushed at his compliment and smiled when she saw what he was wearing. "I like you in navy."

He grinned, "I know you do." He'd chosen this navy suit with her in mind, knowing she liked that colour on him and that it was the colour suit he was wearing the first time she saw him.

The girls were in bed by the time they were ready to leave so they went into their room to say goodnight. He smiled when they insisted on hugs from Liza as well as him. Both he and Liza tucked them in and kissed them goodnight before slipping quietly after the room, but not before he heard Bianca sleepily mumble "Hope you have a nice time."

He was taking her to see La Boheme, and as their car pulled up outside the opera house he watched happily as she realised his plan and a smile spread across her face. "I know you love the opera, and I know this is your favourite one. The last time I saw you at the opera, I couldn't stop thinking about you - I wanted to be with you so badly then, but I couldn't. But now, I'm lucky enough that I do get to be with you, and we can go together."

Her eyes looked misty as she cupped his cheek with her hand. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Charles smiled and shook his head in disbelief, "you've got that the wrong way round." He kissed her tenderly on the forehead before opening the door and helping her out of the car. She took his offered arm and they walked together into the building, totally caught up in each other and oblivious to everyone else around them.

Liza had been enraptured by the performance, and he'd spent most of his time watching her, watching it. He loved seeing her so caught up in the story and her face was so expressive. Her reactions during the different acts and the way she enthusiastically joined in with the standing ovation at the end, told him he'd made the right choice in bringing her here.

She was beaming from ear to ear and practically bouncing as they walked out of the opera house and into the New York night. She clutched his hand tightly as they strolled down Broadway. "Thank you so much for that Charles - it was wonderful."

He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand affectionately and smiled warmly at her, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"It's such a nice night tonight" she commented, looking around.

He had to agree – it was very mild out, much warmer than usual for this time of year, and he felt it would be wrong to not take advantage of it. "It is - we should make the most of it. Come on, let's go for a walk."

They walked hand in hand down W. 41st St until they reached Bryant Park. It was one of his favourite parks in the city and even though it was close to work, he never really got the time to go there. He spent a lot of time there as a kid because it was right next to New York Public Library and he and his grandfather would check out some books and then go and sit in the park and read them together. The library also held more modern memories now too, as he'd met Liza there a few times before their dates. He hadn't planned to bring her here tonight, but now it seemed like the perfect place to round off their evening.

He didn't have a particular destination in mind as they laughed and just enjoyed being with each other, but he smiled when he looked up and saw that they were at the fountain. They stopped and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him. "Happy Birthday" he murmured.

She sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for today Charles – the whole day has just been incredible."

"You're welcome." Seeing her so happy was more than worth the effort.

"I know it's a little off topic, but I just wanted to ask how you're feeling about the whole Quinn thing and having to get an investor? I mean, I know you'd rather not have an investor given the choice, and that you'd prefer not to have to sell any of the company. I just don't want you to feel like you're losing out… I don't want you to regret anything."

He looked at her adoringly – even on her own birthday she was still concerned about how he was doing. She didn't need to worry though because even if he did have to sell some of Empirical, it wasn't the end of the world – they would move forward, rebuild and make the company even better. As long as he had her by his side, he would be okay. "Liza, I have everything that I want – I'm happy." And he meant it – he had her and he had his girls, and he didn't need anything else.

Her face was awash with emotion, the most prominent being love, and as she leaned up and fused her lips with his he felt so unbelievably lucky to have found her. It might have taken them a long time to get to where they were now, but like with all good things in life - it was worth waiting for.

* * *

By the time they got back to the house it was pretty late. Charles paid the babysitter and gave her a little extra for staying later, then took Liza's hand and led her up the stairs to his bedroom. He could tell she was tired as she sat down on the bed, he was too - but there was one more thing we wanted to give her. He sat down next to her and opened the drawer in his nightstand and pulled out a small turquoise box, before tentatively handing it to her. "This is for you."

Liza's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the box in her hand. "Charles, you didn't need to do this - you've already done so much."

He smiled warmly at her - she wasn't entitled or materialistic in the slightest, unlike many of the other women he'd been with - and that just made him love her more. "I wanted you to have something you could keep."

She gasped and her eyes filled with tears as she untied the bow and lifted the lid to find a silver Tiffany padlock necklace with their initials engraved on it. "It's like the one from Frankfurt" she whispered, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

He brushed it away gently with his thumb before picking the necklace up out of the box and attaching it around her neck. He smiled at the sight of her wearing it. "It suits you."

"I love you" she choked out as her gaze met his, and it was like a thunderbolt to his heart.

"I love you too Liza." No more words were spoken, and all tiredness was forgotten, as their lips met in a lovers embrace. Clothes disappeared and time became irrelevant as they made slow, passionate love to each other - showing each other with their bodies what they'd declared with their words.

Afterwards, as they lay in each other's arms, breathing heavily as they came down from their highs, he knew that this was where he wanted to be for the rest of his life. So much was still unknown – the outcome of the Moore case still up in the air, and how it would work out having an investor on board was yet to be seen. There would also undoubtedly be numerous challenges ahead when everyone found out about them, but they would face it all - together, and it would be so worth it.


	28. Chapter 28

AN: Hey! I'm glad you enjoyed my version of the season finale - thank you so much for your comments! I can't believe after 67k+ words this is the last chapter! It's been a blast writing it and sharing it with you so thank you for coming along for the ride :) I know a lot of you are disappointed that this fic is ending, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it :) It's a flash forward to a year into their future - hope you enjoy it :)

* * *

ONE YEAR LATER

LIZA

"Liza! Liza look – I'm doing it!"

"Oh wow - Bianca that's so cool! Look at it go!"

Liza watched happily from her seat on the picnic blanket as Nicole and Bianca squealed in delight as, with a little help from Charles, the kite she'd bought for them took flight and whooped through the sky. She caught Charles's eye and he gave her one of his megawatt smiles that still turned her insides to mush. She giggled as the kite nosedived into the sand, and the girls chased after it undeterred, following Charles's instruction on how to get it back in the air.

The four of them had came down to The Hamptons for a long weekend and she'd loved every second of it. They'd swam, ate out, relaxed on the beach and visited the icecream shop Charles used to work at - it had been perfect.

She sighed in contentment as she thought about everything that had happened over the past year. Nicole and Bianca had fully accepted her into their lives, and treated her as one of the family. She loved those girls as if they were her own, and it had melted her heart a few months ago when they had casually said "Love you Liza" when she had kissed them goodnight. Caitlin and Charles got on like a house on fire as well - Charles would go out of his way to include her in things, and Caitlin could see how happy he made her. She would come round to Charles's house all the time for dinner when she was back from college. And whilst Liza hadn't officially moved in with him, if she wasn't at his house then he was with her at her apartment – so she knew that was the next step, and that it wouldn't be long before they made that leap. It made her smile at the thought of never having to spend a night without him again.

It wasn't just her personal life that had progressed greatly over the past year. There had been some big developments at Empirical as well. The company was now thriving and doing better than ever – Quinn had been great for business and hadn't interfered in the day-to-day running. LL. Moore had been prosecuted, which had shocked the literary world but had set a new precedent for acceptable conduct in the workplace. One of the most significant changes for her personally was that everyone now knew about her age and that her and Charles were together. People had been shocked at first, and she was the subject of office gossip for a while, but that settled down and everyone was fine with it now. She had been most concerned about Diana's reaction, and as expected she had been shocked, but surprisingly she had been impressed that Liza had had the balls to stand up for herself in a man's world and do what she had to do for her career. She said that she had always known there was something different about her, and the two of them had developed a mutually appreciative friendship, which Liza truly valued.

With everything out in the open, Liza had plucked up the courage to take Charles up on his suggestion to write a book and tell her story. Charles and Kelsey provided the encouragement and editorial assistance, and her book 'Younger' was released last month. No one could have been more surprised than her when it became an instant success, reaching number 2 on the Times bestseller list in its first week. It had become somewhat of a selling point for Millennial, ironically helping the company and doing the opposite of what Cheryl Suzzmann had threatened would happen.

She couldn't be happier - her career was going from strength to strength, her friends and family were doing well, and she was with the man whom she loved more than she ever thought it possible to love another human being that wasn't her child. She looked over as the ground shifted beside her and smiled as Charles laid down next to her, the girls no longer needing his assistance in kite flying.

"You look happy" he commented, returning her smile and lifting her hand to his lips, placing a tender kiss on her knuckles.

It never failed to send tingles down her body whenever he did that. "I am. I was just thinking about us and how far we've come."

Charles grinned, "I've always loved it when you say 'us'"

"Us" she repeated as she leaned over and kissed him, earning herself another beautiful smile.

Her phone buzzed beside her and she opened it to find a text from Caitlin, _'Hi Mom, how's it going? Anything new with you?'_. "That's weird" she frowned.

"What is?" Charles asked.

"Caitlin - she just texted asking if there was anything new with me. She never texts just to ask how I am - she must want something. I'll call her when we get back from the beach."

"Erm, yeah - that must be what it is." She regarded him curiously as he looked anywhere but at her face and a blush coloured his cheeks. She had a feeling something was going on that she didn't know about. He actually seemed a little nervous as he took a deep breath before calling over to the girls. "Nicole, Bianca - wasn't there something you wanted to show Liza?"

The girls immediately stopped what they were doing and beamed at Charles. They looked at each other and grinned, before running over to them and plopping down on the sand. "You have to stand up and close your eyes Liza!" Bianca instructed.

"Yeah, you can't open them 'til we say" Nicole added seriously.

"Oookay" she replied, slightly confused. Charles was still not meeting her eye, and he and the girls seemed to be having some sort of secret telepathy between the three of them.

She stood up and closed her eyes and smiled as Bianca commanded, "No peeking!" She heard rustling and hushed whispers as she waited to be told she could open her eyes again.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" Nicole called out excitedly to her.

She opened her eyes slowly. Goosebumps swathed her skin and her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of Nicole and Bianca grinning widely and giggling excitedly as they proudly held a banner, that they'd obviously made themselves, that read 'Will you marry our Daddy?'

Her jaw dropped in shock and she turned at the sound of Charles softly clearing his throat. Tears blurred her eyes as she looked at him down on one knee, a mixture of love, hope and nervousness in his eyes as he held a ring box out to her. His voice cracked with emotion as he began to speak.

"Liza, you've given me more happiness in the last two and a half years than I've experienced in the entirety of my life before I met you. You brought me back to life and made me feel like me again when I'd forgotten what that was like, and for that I will be forever grateful. You complete me Liza - I didn't know there was a piece of me that was missing until I met you, but I am immensely grateful that I found you. I love you - so much, and I'm the luckiest man in the world because you love me too. I couldn't have wished for a better person to have in my life, to have in my girls' life, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me everyday. Liza Miller, will you marry me and do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?"

She didn't realise she'd been holding her breath for his whole speech. She gasped at his last sentence and a tear escaped her eye at the word 'wife'. It only took a second however for her shock to turn to complete joy. She dropped to her knees and threw herself into his arms - the sheer level of hope and anticipation in his eyes making her heart burst. "Yes! Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

Her tears were freely flowing as he let out a breath and laughed in utter relief and happiness. As he picked her up and swung her around she saw that he was crying too, and she fell in love with him all over again. The girls were whooping and cheering behind them and she giggled in delight at the overwhelming show of happiness around her.

"I love you so much" she choked out, cupping his cheek with her hand as he placed her back on the ground but kept his arms around her.

His smile could have lit up the whole of New York as he replied, "I love you too." He let go of her waist and took her left hand as he took the ring out of the box. She'd forgotten about the ring in all the excitement of his speech, but she gasped when she saw it in all its glory, glistening in the sunlight. "Charles it's beautiful!". It was an exquisite pear cut diamond solitaire, with smaller diamonds down the side of what she was sure was a platinum band. Their eyes met and they beamed at each other as he slid it onto her ring finger. She wasn't surprised to find that it was a perfect fit.

Knowing how meticulous he was, she was sure he would have sought help to find out her ring size, not wanting to leave it to chance. It clicked in her brain as she remembered Caitlin's text and Charles's reaction. "Caitlin knew that you were going to propose didn't she?"

He smiled and looked a little sheepish. "Yeah she did. I'd normally have asked your father...but I know how close you and Caitlin are, and I wanted to include her, so I asked her instead."

Liza's heart constricted with love for him. Could he possibly get any sweeter?! "You asked Caitlin for my hand in marriage?"

He nodded shyly at her. "She helped me figure out your ring size too - I'm not good with women's jewellery."

Liza smiled warmly at him as she held up her sparkling left hand. "I'd say you're pretty good."

Charles grinned proudly, "I picked that myself - I wanted it to be totally from me. As soon as I saw it I thought of you, and I knew it was the one. But if you don't like it we can exchange it for a different one."

Liza took his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers. "Charles, are you kidding - I love it! And I love you."

Their moment was interrupted by two excited little girls running over and colliding into them. "Liza, can we see?!" They were bouncing with excitement and Liza smiled affectionately at them - the fact that they were so happy about this just made it all the more special.

"Of course!" she held her hand out and watched happily as they stared wide eyed at it.

"Wow! It's so pretty!" Nicole exclaimed.

"Daddy you have to kiss her! That's what they always do in the fairy-tales!" Bianca added, bouncing up and down.

Charles chuckled and smirked at her, "Well, if that's what they do in the fairy-tales..."

As he leaned down and their lips met in a kiss that was achingly tender and so full of promise, with the sound of the girls giggling and cheering ringing in their ears, Liza knew that she had all that she would ever need to be happy. Charles was it for her - he was who she'd been looking for her whole life, without even realising it. From the moment they'd met they'd been drawn to each other - it was unstoppable, even when they tried to fight it. And now they were binding themselves to each other forever, and together they would get their HEA.

* * *

AN: So there you go - Liza and Charles have the HEA that we all want for them :)

I've had a few requests for a sequel or another story. I'm back at University next month so I'm not going to have time to write another epically long fic like this one, but I'm thinking of maybe doing a one/two-shot. I thought of potentially a 'filling in the gaps' type thing for their first time in The Bubble...but if you guys have any other suggestions of what you'd like to read then I'm open to suggestions:)

Once again, thanks for reading :)

#TeamCharles


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